The PetMeds blog offers hundreds of articles on important topics to help you and your pets. Learn appropriate pet medications and treatments for various types of dog and cat diseases, and illnesses, as well as information around proper nutrition, pet behavior and health topics. All articles are contributed by our contributing experts, pharmacy staff, and Michael Dym, VMD. Stay informed and educated on various pet health problems with the help of PetMeds.

One of the most overlooked topics in veterinary medicine surrounds the issue of drug interactions and the side effects of medication. In the middle of a busy veterinary practice, many veterinarians often fail to take the time to discuss these possibilities. For example, many commonly prescribed nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs) can sometimes cause digestive upset and/or liver/kidney problems in some sensitive pets. Corticosteroids like Prednisone can cause similar problems in some pets, as well as predispose pets to diabetes with prolonged use.

While a topic of debate, these risks are increased if Prednisone and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are used together. While potentially life saving, antibiotics can also cause allergic reactions from digestive upset to skin eruptions. Some pets are sensitive to topical flea and tick medications, and in my practice I always use flea and tick medication on a separate day from heartworm preventative medication administration or vaccinations, in order to lessen the burden on a pet’s immune system.

Whenever multiple drugs are prescribed it is always important for clients to ask questions and/or veterinarians to make them aware of these issues, as veterinarians not only prescribe medication but are also dispensing medications in private practice much like pharmacists do for humans and at 1800PetMeds.

I have a 17 lb. male breeder ragdoll cat who is was never socialized by the breeder I bought him from who cannot be handled at all without becoming vicious. We were given Acepromazine 10 mg. by a Vet who we no longer go to because of some issues and I would like to know what dosage to give this cat to put him pretty much to sleep so that we can shave the hairballs out of him and groom him without causing any physical harm to him. We just do not want to get bitten or torn apart in this process.

Ace 10 mg should be ok to try, however responses among animals differ. Also this drug is NOT an anesthetic but a sedative that can calm the cat in many cases.

leah Reply:November 2nd, 2014 at 11:14 am

acepromazine-should never be given to shelties!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
just so everyone out there knows-every sheltie rescue is coming forward and when I say sheltie rescue I mean their vets are experiencing death with this pre anesthesia-I would not let the vets give it to any herding breed there are too many other pre anesthesias

Pepcid is fine and safe to use at dose of 20 mg twice daily. Given the wide variety of health issues and symptoms, consider consulting with holistic or homeopathic vet. Learn more at http://www.beyondflatearth.com as well as my website http://www.canineworld.com/drdym MAny homeopathic vets do offer phone consultations.

Thank you. My wife said the vet told her we could give her two10 mg Pepcid a day. However, I found some notes from a couple of years ago when his partner said we could give 20 mg twice a day. Would the other two meds she is taking require a lower dose of Pepcid? She really has an upset stomach (which I think is caused by the Flagyl) and I would like to give her an extra 10 mg until I can contact the vet’s office, which is hopefully open tomorrow.

Drugs in the cipro class can interact with theophylline, so I dont usually use those two drugs together. The trouble breathing, hover sounds like it is the primary problem, and so I would return to vet for further workup, including x rays, EKG and/or echocardiogram if needed.

Hi,
Our vet compounded an otic preparation for our pet’s ear infection that is injectible Baytril; silver sulfadiazine and dexamethazone, with a distilled water carrier. Is dexamethazone safe to use in combination with those other two drugs?

Are there any medications that would adversely interact with a Glucosamine/Chondroitin supplement? My dog takes them for arthritis. While not an interaction, can Glucosamine/Chondroitin can cause nausea in a dog?

Glucosamine usually does not cause nausea in dogs..The only interactions for a dog would be if on blood thinner which most dogs are not. Also occasionally if dog is diabetic then sometimes glucosamine may raise blood sugar levels.

My 16 1/2 year old poodle is on Enalapril ( a quarter of a 2.5mg tab once a day), Furosemide ( 1 12.5mg in the morning and 1/2 12.5mg at night), Vetmedin (1 1.25mg tablet twice daily), and Cephalexin (1/2 250mg tablet in the morning and 1/2 250mg tablet at night) She is also on Humulin N insulin and she gets depend on her sugar (we check it several times a day using a regular meter and pricking her tail to get the blood). She has sever arthritis and has had 2 back injuries before. She’s starting to hurt a little and whimpers at night sometimes. Can we give her part of a 85mg chewable aspirin? Thanks for any replies in advance.

My boxer was diagnosed with an inoperable large tumor and with Pancreatitis and placed on 750 mg Amoxicillan, 750 mg Metronidazole and 50 mg Tramadol. Upon 2 doses of the Tramadol he had an allergic reaction; this was resolved with one dose (50 mg) of benedryl, followed by 25 mg dose 12 hours later. He was then placed on 75 mg of Rimadyl. Within 12 hours his urine was the color of cola. Dr. indicated there was blood in it. We discontinued Rimadyl and 12 hours later, clear urine. Any thoughts? Thank you.

My 9 yr old german shepherd has kidney failure and is on Baytril 68 mg twice a day and her Pancreas is inflamed. She takes Tramadal for pain and 20 ml of aluminum hydroxide which has toatally killed her appetite. Now she is on Metronidazole 125 mg twice a day for the pancreas I guess and I can’t get her to eat anything. I have tried steak , chicken turkey burger…nothing works. I have been reading a lot about the pancreas and the acid it releases. She is also constipated from it. I do call my vet constantly and am getting frustrtated. Can I give her Zantac or Prilosec with these mediacations? I also give her subcutaneous fluis 200-300 ml a day.
thank you

You can try pepcid AC at dose of one half mg per pound once to twice daily. Perhaps the antibiotics are upsetting her stomach. May be worth consulting a homeopathic vet for alternative approach. To learn more see http://www.beyondflatearth.com Also see my own website http://www.doctordym.com Many holistic vets do offer phone consultations.

I have the German Shepherd with the kidney failure and the upset stomach. ( Posted 4/7/12) The pepcid ac did seem to help some but I went to my vet and asked about appetite stimulants because i don’t think she is eating enough. She has already lost 16 lbs. My vet said there are a lot of appetite stimulants for cats but not that many for dogs and that was it end of conversation. I am at baby food level now. Believe me when I say I have spent a lot of money on products claiming your dog will eat. I tried the raw Green tripe that even anorexic dogs are supposed to eat. Do you have any suggestions?
Thank you again

I would try force feeding some of formulas on Pat McKay’s website http://www.patmckay.com Holistic medicine and/or nutrient supplements/diet may help, even at this late stage on occasion. Consulting a homeopathic vet may be helpful as well, as mentioned before http://www.doctordym.com I have not had good experience with drug appetite stimulants just like your vet.

Thanks for sharing. Many drugs of the H-2 blocking family including tagamet and to a lesser extent famotidine or pepcid do have this interaction with drugs and liver enzymes that metabolize metronidazole

I have an 11-ye old 68 lb Golden Retriever, who has a very large cancerous tumor in his abdomen. He’s taking Tramadol, Flagella and Pepcid. Is it okay to give him his Heartgard and Front line medicine? There won’t any negative interaction? Thanks.

I have a 56 lb. lab. He has been taking prednisone for severe arthritis in his back and hips. Yesterday I started him on glucosamine chondroiton msn combination along with dog asprin. late last nigh he began vomiting. What combination could be causing the vomiting? Is there something better that I could give him for his arthritis? When he stands sttill his rear legs eventually start to give out and he starts slouching to the ground. Any suggestions? he is 12.

Dr, Thanks for the quick response. Prior to the prednisone my vet had my dog on a non steriodal anti inflamatory. We had not reached the maximum dose with that, but, my dog was still having the similar problem. It has been nearly a week since he has been on prednisone and the problem is much much worse. Would it be best to ask the vet to put him on the maximum dose of the non steriodal anti inflamatory drug again instead of the prednisone? Or do you think he has just gotten that much worse in one week? again, he is a yellow lab, 56 lbs, 12 years old. What do you suggest? Do you think he might be suffering?

I think trying the max dose of the nonsteroidal anti inflammatory medication is a better chioce. Also consider joint supplements such as super joint enhancer, proanthozone and perhaps yucca intensive by azmira as additional support from 1800petmeds.

I wanted to know if it’s ok to give my dog Benadryl everyday to relieve allergy symptoms? Also she’s on Baytril Otic for an ear infection so would there be any drug side effects if I give her Benadryl?

Thanks so much for starting this topic. I was wondering if there is a serious risk for a dog taking tramadol and prozac together. This dog has been on prozac and was just diagnosed with a lung tumor, we anticipate needing pain meds down the road. She is on prednisone so can’t do NSAIDs. I have started to wean her off prozac because I saw tramadol/prozac has interactions for humans but was wondering if this also applies to dogs. She would be taking these shorterm (her prognosis is just 2-3 months) Thank you!

My 10 month old 15lb Terrier just had surgery and is currently on Amoxicillin and is having a hard time sleeping so I was going to give her Benedryl, can she take both of those medications at the same time?

LAsix and some of other meds may cause increased thirst/urination, as well as electrolyte and rarely kidney abnormalities that may contribute to weakness. BEst to have vet recheck and recheck of blood work to check for these as drugs may need to be adjusted.

I have an 11 year old 70 lb. female lab mix that has bad hips and knees. Due to this she experiences chronic pain. We have avoided NSAIDs since the last time she took them it negatively affected her liver. Our vet has told us we can give 50 mg Tramadol a day up to 5 times a week. I know this gives her about 12 hours of pain relief. I would like to know if a dose of .25 mg of Tramadol twice a day would provide more constant pain relief? I am also wondering Tramadol is habit forming over time. Thank you.

Explain blepharitis to me.My GS-husky 5year old 77lb boy has all the symptoms and secondary complications.I.E. hyperthyroidism,excessive urination,constant thirst,fanatic heart rates,uneventemperament,pacing,whining,anxiety issues,fatigue after two ball toss in short yard,inability to connect with other creatures.In other words,not much fun for us and him.I came across blepharitis when his poor eyes were sealed shut with waxy gooey mess.Sun and out door activity,like a walk, seem to make it worse.Any help?

My 9 year old lab appears to have summer sores on her face and neck. She is also swollen and on the side of her head that she has the sores on. I have given her Benedryl and cleaned the sores with DermabenSs shampoo and followed up with Trinzchlor 4% spray. I have also been told that shaving the area is recommended. Is there anything else I can do for her to keep the sores from spreading or to alleviate the swelling?

Today I gave my dog heartgard and I applied certifect. Later on this evening I gave her one benadryl, 25mg, as directed by our vet to relax her during the current fireworks noise. Was this a bad combination to give her in one day? I didn’t think of asking the vet before and my dog is groggier today than yesterday when she had only benadryl, and her legs were trembling and a little wobbly. {lease advise. Thank you.

I have a 8.5# 12 year old Maltese with a collapsing trachea. The vet has him on Aminophylline 25 mg once a day, Disal 6.25 mg twice a day and he is on the last of his Primor 120 mg once a day. He has been coughing and the cough medicine the vet gave us in really not working. I gave him a half of eye-dropper of my Hydrco Poli/HCL ER liquid. Am I going to regret this?

Is it okay to give my bernese mountain dog tramadol and valium together? He is on tramadol for unknown pain at this time ( possible onset arthritis or slipped disc in neck) and he was unbelievable scared of storm.

My 12 year old Weimaraner has stage 3 CHF and is on vetmedin and spiralactone as a diuretic. Can I also give him 2 benadryl a day to halp with mast cell tumors? I don’t want him to have surgery to remove them because of the CHF

My dog, Sammie is currently taking Metacam every morning for arthritis. She seems to be having a lumpy allergic reaction to something and her neck looks a little swollen. She’s is behaving alright, just scratching quite a bit. Is it safe for me to administer a small dosage of Benadryl while she is taking Metacam?
I appreciate your help!

My shih tzu is currently taking rimadyl 12.5mg twice/ day after having surgery for eye ulcers yesterday. The vet clinic is currently closed and she is very uncomfortable. Can I give her tramadol to help ease her pain? I have 50 mg pills prescribed to her a few weeks ago due to continued eye infections. Thank you!

My Shih Tsu 11lbs has spinal/disk arthritis and had surg 1 1/2yr ago. She had been on metacam for 7days with sx’s of back pain. They want to put her on prednisone but want to wait 3 wks because of the metacam. She is given tramedol for the pain put it really is not helping much. Could she be given the pred sooner than the 3 wks?
Thank you very much for your help.
Joanne

I have a 13 year old pug who has a UTI. She took a 14 day course of Cephalexin and it did not help. Yesterday she started Cipro 125mg once daily and she received her second dose this evening after dinner. Her stomach is making a lot of noise yet she appears fairly comfortable. Can I give her 5mg of Pepcid? She weighs 19 lbs. Furthermore she is being switched from Royal Canin Urinary S/O food to Hills G/D diet and is on day five of the new food, almost fully transitioned. Until this evening I have not heard her stomach upset nor has she had vomiting or diarrhea. Thank you so much for any guidance!

5 mg pepcid is fine to give twice daily. Unless dog has bladder stones in history or had surgery for them, I would feed a more holistic natural diet in pet this age such as natures variety, wysong or halo from 1800petmeds.

Thank you for such a quick response. She has a positive history of recurrent bladder stones. Her x-ray 2 weeks ago was negative but she does have crystals in her urine, which could also be related to the infection. They switched to G/D because her labs are high in cholesterol, fats, and lipase. I will try the Pepcid and see if it settles her stomach. Thanks again, so glad I stumbled upon this site.

you are welcome. I would consider home made diet for urinary tract stones as described in book on canine home recipes by Donald Strombeck, phd,which you can find on line Sincerely,
Michael Dym, VMD http://www.doctordym.com

My 76 pound female golden retriever was recently prescribed 1 500mg tablet of metronidazole every 12 hours. She also has very bad anxiety, is it safe to give her a 1 mg tablet of her lorazepam prescription while she is on the other medication? I would only be giving it to her once, it’s for situational anxiety.

Is it ok to give my 15 year husky heartguard with predislone and metradanozle ? She has been on pred now 3 weeks and met she was just diagnosed with Acute Leukemia. I am also giving her other supplements like fish oil tablet (DHA), 5 K9 Immunity plus chewables daily , 1 C-CAP a day to try and help fight cancer. She also has arthritus and is taking synflex for dogs and I also give a greenlip mussel daily. My other question is about flaxseed oil. I have been thinking of also adding a 1 teaspoon of flaxseed with cottage cheese to her diet daily. I have read that flaxseed can help with tumors and reduce spread cancer. Any advise of flaxseed addition to help fight the cancer. Also based on all the above I am giving her would it be too much ? She has a home cooked diet based what foods to avoid if your dog has cancer.

Sounds like you are doing great job with your dog. I would give heartguard at reduced frequency rate of every 2 months given we dont need any extra toxic burdens on the body. Your pet will still be protected from heartworms. The flax seed oil and cottage cheese are fine. May be worthwhile to consider consultation with holistic vet. Many do offer phone consults and can also fine tune the supplements, etc See my website http://www.doctordym.com for more details.

Our 2.5lbs chi was attacked by our min pin last night. She appeared more in shock and had no puncture wounds. I gave her some metacam that was left over from a leg injury. This morning she was showing signs of blindness. We took her to our vet and he stabilized her. She has severe head trauma. He gave her a dexamethasone injection and sent us home with prednisone and told us to start it in the morning. She started becoming very active (no success with sight though). Now, she seems to be going downhill. Is it ok to start her on the prednisone tonight vs tomorrow morning?

Hi my pug puppy has generalized demodectic mites, the vet has her on ivermectin daily, but her breeder has recommended using advocate (moxidectin + imidacloprid) every two weeks as well. I’ve read about using these individually but not in conjunction, I’m worried it will be too much for her low immune system. Do you know if these drugs can be used together or should we just pick one form of treatment?
thanks

I am not familiar with using these drugs together but I dont think it would be a problem. Oral ivermectin daily is more common drug used, ande can take several weeks to be effective. Also consider home made diet as described in book Dr Pitcairns guide to natural health for dogs and cats by Richard Pitcairn, DVM, phd. as that may help immune system as well as his other suggestions in book on immune health and this condition.

I have a 30 lb. Scottish Terrier currently taking 60 mg Phenbarbital 2x per day…he has in the past had issues with re-current bladder infections and has previously been given Clavamox 125mg 3x per day….I suspect he is dealing with another bladder infection (last one was in March, just prior to the intro to pheno when seizures started about the same time as the initial bladder infection) I tried the Clavamox in hopes of clearing up infection and making some dietary among other changes to prevent starting him on Pheno, but he continued to have cluster type siezures which I had to start the Pheno. My question is that I have some Clavamox, he is on Pheno …can I give him the two without any interaction?

THere should not be problem in using clavamox with phenobarbitol. If there is no improvement, however within a few days, you should have vet check and urine culture and possibly x ray. This breed also prone to bladder stones and bladder tumors, as well. You may want to consider exploring some holistic treatment options. Start with book dr PItcairns guide to natural health for dogs and cats by Richard Pitcairn, DVM, PHD. See my website http://www.doctordym.com Many homeopathic and holistic vets also do phone consultations if none in your area.

Thank you so much for your reply. I think I will go ahead and give the two meds, maybe at different intervals; not together. I knew Scotties were prone to bladder issues and when my vet’s assistant (my vet is an old school vet who is a huge encouragement to me when I approach him with treatments other than medicinal, such as dietary and holistic…he is never crital about my feeding options (I choose a Species appropriate diet for both my Scottie boys) and I do not vaccinate (beyond the puppy series)…but the assistant is a younger vet and was quick when I took Auggie in for the seizures to just “assign” Pheno…I asked him to please check urine because Auggie had already given me reason to think he had a bladder issue such as urinating upon standing and inside which is way out of the norm for him, I expressed concern that he may have an infection and asked if such an infection could “cause or worsen” seizures. Auggie will be 10 in October and has never had any type of siezures to our knowledge before March. He obliged with urinalysis but said he felt like I should not waste time in getting him started on Pheno. My personal vet called the next day to say I was correct that Auggie had a “raging” bladder infection with blood and he called in the Clavamox…he also said the vet asst. asked me to bring him some crowe for lunch Alas though Auggie started having 3-4 seizures a day several days later and I relented, started the Pheno and he has only had one seizure in 9 weeks…until last Tuesday when I noticed the penis licking afetr her peed and several “accidents upon standing”…I gave him a Clavamox Wednesday and Thursday and then Friday he had 2 seizures back to back…I was afraid the Clavamox interferred with the Pheno. I did call my vet when his office opened and spoke with the vet tec and she said she didnt think the two combined would be a problem as well. In my heart, I feel like whatever the cause of his bladder issues is the underlying cause of his seizures…At his age, I am gambling that I will get at least a couple of more years with him without his liver suffering from the effects of the Phenobarbital…My older Scottie just turned 11 so my boys are, well, my boys and I sure do love them an awful lot.

Thanks again for your reply…I will check into more holistic approach with regard to health for them as I am interested in staying as far away from chemical junk as I can. Thanks again!

I have 15 yr old Lhasa taking 40mg furosemide,5mg enacard,vetmedin daily. Recently suffered ACL, Novox was giving him diarrhea even with pepcid. Can I give him 1/2 coated baby asprin w/pepcid every other day instead? Also has separation anxiety could we give him prozac? We are planning a two night vacation, hiring a sweet dog sitter to stay here with him but afraid to leave him without some calming meds. Also giving him joint supplement from Pet Meds. Thank you for any help!

I would not use baby aspirin unless you consult with your vet. In dog this age and on heart meds like this, I would be concerned about ulcers, etc even with the pepcid at the same time. As for prozac, I would not use that in dog this age and also prozac not indicated for short term use. I would try natural remedy like be serene from 1800petmeds to see if that can help with the anxiety.

Our 5 year old 10lb Dachshund has taken 7.5mg Prozac (Fluoxetine) for several years and it works WONDERS for her anxiety and OCD – no more issues with Prozac. She is having seizures and the vet wants to put her on Phenobarb – but says we cannot give her both Prozac and Phonobarb. Is it OK to give both meds?

I honestly have not had any patients over the years on both of these medications. There can be interactions in drugs acting on the brain so I would follow your vets recommendations as well as asking your vet about alternative seizure control medications.

Is it ok to give my dog benadryl while he’s on revolution? My dog doesn’t have heart worms, he’s using revolution to prevent getting heart worms.
I’ve noticed that my dog has developed a rash around his elbows, pimples & bumps down his back, patches of hair loss on his arms (not at the site where the medicine is applied), constantly shaking his ears, and scratching himself all the time since the summer began. However, these symptoms develop way before we gave him the revolution treatment. I’ve read somewhere it could possibly be allergies and can be treated with benadryl, but I wanted to make sure it was ok to use benadryl while using revolution. Please advise, thank you!

Benadryl is fine to use while a pet is on revolution Also consider fatty acid supplements like missing link or be well from 1800petmeds. Yucca intensive may also be helpful, as well as bathing with shampoos like chlorihexiderm shampoo every few days from 1800petmeds.

The kirkland product is ok, although I have no experience with it, and usually dont recommend over the counter store generics. The one from 1800petmeds may be helpful called Flea 4X. No matter what, I would wait the two weeks before applying the topical pesticide.

My dog has been diagnosed with IBD and hypothyroidism. He is on soloxine and Hill’s Z/D Ultra. He is fed 4x daily and recently, we were advised to add 1T cooked oatmeal to his dinner (seems to firm his stools and settle his stomach). Tagamet given before bed with a few pieces of kibble seems to help his acid reflux. Are there any side effects to giving Tagamet daily on a long term basis? Vet said some dogs can have “low white blood cells”. Would it be better to administer the Tagamet “as needed” vs daily? Please advise. Thank you.

AS needed would be preferably to daily, but many dogs can be given tagamet long term without any problems. You may want to ask your vet about famotidine or pepcid which is somewhat safer to use long term and has less effect on white blood cells and liver enzymes.

I have a 9 lb. mini dachshund that is on 4 units of Metacam once a day for her arthritis. She was diagnosed today with an ear infection – inner and outer. She was prescribed Otibiotic ointment for her inner ear and Gentocin to spray on her flaky skin under her ears. She has been quite lethargic since her first treatment this morning. I just wanted to make sure that these drugs were okay to interact with the Metacam.

Thanks so much, Dr. Dym! I tried to respond last night, but the captcha wasn’t working with me. I slept better knowing she’d be okay. She is a little rescue from Katrina and one of three wienies loved very much in our home!

My dog just got spayed and she will not calm down so she was prescribed tramadol while on an an antibiotic cafpodoxine and carprophan. She has taken benedryl before would it be ok to give to her now to calm down and sleep? I know it sounds horrible but she’s developing fluid pockets and wont calm down and therefore she isn’t healing very well!

He had been on prednisone for 2 months for this but I noticed weird symptoms (lethargy, somewhat labored breathing, sometimes difficulty walking, weight gain) and weaned him off slowly. (My vet went AWOL unexpectedly, so no help there).

He has been off it for 10 days now.

Would it be unwise to start him again on it (I still have many pills left) just until I find another decent vet this week? Very short term? He is really suffering. But I also gave him Benadryl today (2 doses 12 hours apart of 25mg each) which did nothing.

My 9 year old 35kg Rottie broke her leg approx. 31/2 years ago and a pin put down the centre of the bone with a fixator attached since then where the screws on the fixator had been every so often a pus filled like abcess would appear and she would be put on a antibiotic and it would burst and then heal up so this August the whole leg was painful with a lump she was given erythromycin which made her sick I stopped the tablets and saw vet week after vet then put her on synulox 500 x 2 daily she was already on tramadol 50mg x 3 daily wasn’t any better and not wanting food so took her back on 29/8/12 she was given zantac 1/2 x3 daily and rimadyl 1 daily took her back on the 4/9/12 still not wanting food stuggling to get meds in her vet took xray of leg, infection on the bone vet changed antibiotic to clindacyl 300mg x 3 daily plus increased her tramadol to 2 x 3 daily on 6/9/12 rang vet to say can’t get her to take any food or meds vet said to stop everthing but clindamycil and give them 11/2 twice a day by putting in the back of the throat and hold mouth shut, tickle throat but as she sat and we did this her front legs splayed and she stumbled to the floor disorientated, she has had episodes of retching like something stuck in her throat and then she gets disorientated and falls over and pants excessively afterwoods some times she pants first then retches then pants and calms down this has happened 2-3 times a day we took her back to vets on 8/9/12 and she did the same there the vet says she has a brain tumour i disagreed as this has only been happening since she was put on all these different meds my gut instinct is that this is toxacity to one of them or 2 of them are interacting she said she was sure but my dog hasn’t had any behavoural changes no aggression she is just really off colour since all these meds on the 8/9/12 the vet gave her a steriod injection and said this would make a difference and that would prove she has a brain tumour but no difference 9/9/12 she is slightly brighter and eating small amounts she had a episode in the morning and then no more so i thought as she was eating i would give her a clindimycl at 4pm with her food at 11.10 pm she had an episode so no more clindamycil got to ring vet today 10/9/12 to make desicion to euthanise or not still convinced 1 or more of these tablets caused this or sudden withdrawral of tramadol. could you please give me your opinion i’m a nervous wreck over this.

Hard to say without MRI whether brain tumor or not. Sometimes pets can have odd reactions to meds. You could try homeop;athic remedy called nux vomica in 30c potency and give her one pellot once daily for 3 days to see if helps, as this remedy can help sometimes if allergic reaction. Also consider working with vet homeopath as well. To learn more see http://www.beyondflatearth.com or my website http://www.doctordym.com Many homeopathic vets offer phone consults.

Do Iverhart Plus and Ketoconazole interact or cause problems together?
I have a dog w/ a skin fungus issue. He really looks bad because it took a bit for me to afford the money for 200 mg 2tid for 30 days. I also just restarted his HW meds. Will it be a problem to use them togerther? Can the fungus affect his lungs. The last time I had him HW checked he was negative.
He is a 12 year old,neutered male, Austrailian Cattle dog and terrier cross. About 32lbs.

Hello. I have an approximately 5 month old cat. He weighs maybe 6 lbs. He came in his pet door today limping, with a swollen paw. The paw seemed much more swollen 12 hours ago than now. One of his toes- the swollen one- seems to be a little bit red on it and between it and the next, but there is no sign of any open wound. He will let me touch it to look at it, but he doesn’t want to walk on it and will pull away if I touch too hard directly on that toe. His leg does not hurt, nor does his ankle bone or the top of his foot. It does not feel warmer than the other foot. He is eating properly, not licking or biting at it, and will take swipes at the dog’s tail or a housefly with the swollen paw. My question is twofold: can I put topical benadryl on the swollen toe and cover it so he can’t ingest it, or can I give him a small dose of human benadryl(if so, what dosage please)? If it does start to look infected, can he take human keflex? Thank you.

Thank you so much for your speedy reply! It’s so nice to have you doing this blog! Monty is already doing much better w/o anything but rest and being kept inside. The swelling has gone down and he is walking very lightly on it now. I really appreciate your help!

My cat is taking Phenobarbital daily for seizure control, as well as Ciprofloxacin. I found fleas on him today for the first time ever. Is it safe to use Advantix II in addition to these meds? Thanks SO much!

My older lab suddenly has a swollen face, we gave her 2 (25mg) Benedryl, she is resting, drinking water seems okay. Is there anything else we should do? We don’t know what happened, she is staying in the house, was outside when whatever happened. Thank you!

My older lab suddenly has a swollen face, we gave her 2 (25mg) Benedryl, she is resting, drinking water seems okay. Is there anything else we should do? We don’t know what happened, she is staying in the house, was outside when whatever happened. Fenced yard, no signs of trauma, seems to have a little diarrhea now. gave Benadryl 2 hours ago, still swollen face. She weighs 90lbs. Thank you!

Hi, my vet give me Prednisolone and Pyrantel for my cat to treat allergy (i use sentry and after that she keep scratching) . i want to know can i stop use both prednisolone and pyrantel once she stop scratching? or i have to finish all of them (cos i am afraid of side effect on my cat). The Pyrantel that i get is actually for human, is that okay for cat too? i wonder…thank you

My 6 year old Jack Russell has anxiety and allergies..he has been taking 1/2 of 5mg valium every morning.If it storms or fireworks,he takes the other half.He also takes 1/2 a pred a day when needed for allergies.he has been taking this daily as ragweed and such is bad in Ohio.I put his Frontline flea drop on today.Are these meds/flea drop safe to use together?Thank You

77 lb (35 k) basset hound (8yo) recently diagnosed with metastatic anal gland cancer with sudden onset of right hind leg deficit (we think an injury); vet ok’d 200 mg of tramadol every 8 hours, but dog still unsettled and seems in agony. We keep acepro. in house for travelling. I know it won’t have any pain effects, but can we give 50 mg of ace concurrent with tramadol? What is the maximum daily dose for tramadol in dogs? Have seen upwards of 5 mg per kilo up to 4x per day, but that seems like alot. Will be at ER tomorrow if pain and anxiety continue but not sure what to do in the meantime.

It’s Sunday night, and my 2-year-old lab seems to be having some kind of allergic reaction–what looks like bumps/hives on her face & nose–and she is itching like crazy. She is breathing fine. My question is: can/should I give her some Benadryl, and if so, how much? She is currently taking 25mg Proin 2x/day. Thank you!
~Cassie

I have a 14 year old beagle who weighs 37 lbs. She recently was diagnosed with lymphoma and a UTI. The lymphoma is causing lose of appettite, digestive issues (soft stool/noisy GI tract) Can Pepcid AC 10 mgs 2xs per day and Baytril 136 1 1/2 pills per day be given together?

My 65 lb 20 month old golden retriever has been taking famotidine since major stomach surgery last year. He’s now tested positive for Lyme and just started 30 day treatment with 150mg Doxycycline 2x/day. Can these meds be given at the same time?
Thank you!!

i have an 11 yr old min pin. she has congestive heart failure and thyroid issues. The vet has her on Vetmedin 1.25 mg cap twice a day. also eltroxin .1mg twice a day and furosimide 20mg 1/2 pill twice a day. She was doing great but over the last couple days she is coughing again. I am worried that her time is coming to a close… Any suggestions?

See your vet as adjustment in meds may be needed. Enalopril is good drug for chronic heart disease. There are also cough suppressants that can help like hycodan that your vet can prescribe. Adjustments in lasix dose also may be needed.

I am giving my 8 yr old dog the flaxseed and cottage cheese diet but he is taking phenobarbital for seizures he was having. Is this ok to give? Or is it a bad combination to be giving?.. Just wondering if this has a bad reaction. Thankssssssss

my 13.5 yr old jack russell (17 lbs) has chf, heart murmur and her lung function is diminished. Regular meds 1/4 of .125 digoxin daily, 25 mg theophylline 2x daily, 1/4 of 2.5mg enalapril 2x daily (these last two we prescribed double the amount I am giving but she is doing well as is), 12.5mg lasix daily and 5 days a month get 1/4 of 5mg prednisone.
She is now in the middle of an allergic reaction. We added 10mg hydroxyzine 2-3x daily (4 days ago) without much help. Two days ago we added Temeril-P 2x daily. She has had 3rd dose of it last night. Hives are on belly, around mouth, ears and other less severe places on her body. Don’t know the source but had cut out almost all food except ID for sensitive stomach and Pedigree Healthy Longevity. Starting today she is only getting turkey lunchmeat to hide her pills, homemade boiled chicken and SD hypoallergenic treats. My main concern, in addition to clearing the allergic reaction, is the interaction of all these drugs. My country vet is not even online at her office though she does the best she can. Since my husband passed away this critter is my best friend. I am worried about “killing her with kindness”. Any advice would be most appreciated.

Dear Dr. Dym,
I have been perusing the comments looking for others who have dogs w/heart disease. My 110 lb shepherd/GDane/Lab mix has myopothy & is on Diltiazem Enalapril & digoxin. He’s doing wonderful but has had severe itching, biting allergy, which we thought was grass. But with 1 month of snow covering, it still continues. We thought maybe it’s food allergy & have him on s-potato/venison AND unfortunately prednisone, which he just about lives on!
I also made his food of rice, s-potatoe, ground chicken & veggies and have stopped thinking this could be it. He’s been on dry food only potato/venison for 2 weeks, but I don’t see any improvement.
After reading the above about Donna’s dog and an allergic reaction, I’m starting to wonder…could any of these meds be causing this non-stop, constant, year round itching??

I doubt the meds are causing itching, however I would ask your vet about the exciting new drug apoquel, which we have been having some outstanding results with chronic allergies of all kinds and without the side effects of prednisone.

dawn Reply:February 11th, 2014 at 6:17 pm

Thanks Doc! I’ll approach him about it. “IF” it is a protein allergy, wouldn’t venison be counterproductive?

I have not seen venison be counterproductive, although some cases of food allergies need hydrolyzed protein diets which are broken down proteins. Examples of prescription versions include Hills Z/D and Royal canine hydrolyzed protein diets.

I have a 4-yr-old germ. Shep. She used to run with me. One day she winced with pain when she moved head to right. X-rays show nothing. She was placed on pain meds and prednisone and responded well. After meds done, symptoms slowly returned. Got another dose of meds. Same thing. Now she’s on carprofen only, but seems to be deteriorating slowly. MRI and surgery is not an option. Took her to chiro. She liked it, but can’t afford that either. Can she take carprofen one day and prednisone once or twice a week for management? She responds well to prednisone.

Our 10 lb cat is on 8mg of phenobarbital twice daily for seizures, but is also having aggression issues (that existed even before the seizures). We’ve tried Feliway, Rescue Remedy, and other calming solutions as well as behavior training, but nothing has worked at all. Our vet said normally she would prescribe Prozac for the aggression at this point but that she had never given phenobarbital in combination with Prozac. Are these safe to give together for a cat? Thanks!

I would not give these two drugs together. I would consider working with a vet homeopath on these health issues which may offer another alternative. To learn more see http://www.beyondflatearth.com or my website http://www.doctordym.com Many homeopathic vets do offer phone consultations. Not a quick fix but may be worth the time and committment.

please consult with a holistic vet asap. My gs mix had pancreatitis, kidney failure from a bad response to a cushings med, and liver tumors and was on a feeding tube as would not eat. Went to a holistic vet. After using what he prescribed,, he regained his appetiite and energy, and was with us another 9 monhts until one of his liver tumors ruptured. what the holistic vet prescribed worked!!!

Thanks for sharing. Holistic vet medicine is certainly a wonderful option for many animal guardians. To learn more see http://www.ALTVETMED.org as well as my website http://www.doctordym.com Many holistic vets do offer phone consults as well.

Thank you for your prompt reply. May I also apply mometamax or surolan to my pet’s ears to clear up an ear infection while administering the prednisone and joint supplement? Thank you in advance again. Your advice is very helpful.

I gave my dog, a 72 lb. Newfoundland/Lab mix his monthly dose of Heartguard last week. I just started Advantage for fleas 1 month ago and his next topical treatment is due. Is it now safe to apply the next dose of advantage treatment for fleas?

Hello,
My 20 pound 1 1/2 year old mixed dog from the pound has kennel cough he contracted at pound. He is on 1/2 tab of doxycycline twice a day and now has runny bright orange stools. Can he take flagyl with this med to improve the loose stools? He has been on the doxy for 3 days. Vet is closed and stools are getting worse.

My mom’s Corgi was recently diagnosed with serious neurologic damage due to seizure activity. She could not afford to do the entire neuro workout so the vet gave her Phenylbarbitol. The dog seems to be getting worse and seems to be in pain. Is it safe to give any anelgesics?

My do had an epilus removed from his mouth earlier this week and is taking two antibiotic pills per day to prevent infection. Is it okay to give him Heartguard and flea and tick preventative while on the antibiotic? We always give them to him on the first of the month. Thanks for your help!

Note: This cat cannot be pilled, and all oral meds have to be crushed and syringed with Science Diet AD (canned)

My concerns:

1. Could the Science Diet AD decrease the product bio-availability of the Marbofloxacin? (Reference Drug Interactions of full prescribing information sheet)

2. What can I safely use for constipation? Up to this point during treatment, one or more of the above drugs has kept him from becoming constipated and I have not had to give him anything additional. I generally use MiraLax alternating with mineral oil (both mixed in food), but am concerned about Miralax use with Prednisolone.

I would have expected this guy to be much better than he is after 10 days of treatment.

I would not think the Ad would decrease the availability of marbofloxicin significantly. As for constipation, you could try a dose or two of dulculax over a few days. I would still try adding pinch of psyllium from health food store to each AD feeding. CAnned pumkpin also may help. Sounds like GREAT case to consult with a vet homeopath. To learn more see http://www.beyondflatearth.com or my website http://www.doctordym.com Many homeopathic vets offer phone consultations. I have no idea why your cat would be on Meclizine which is mainly used for problems with balance.

I was wondering if there would be any problem in giving my dog Glyco-Flex III Soft-Chews (they contain glucosamine, Perna Canaliculus, and MSM) while she is on 25mg of Proin a day… I wouldn’t want to have any interactions! She is 13yrs old, about 30lbs, and has no major health problems.

Thank you so much for your quick reply. He’s never had Dulculax, so perhaps that’s worth a try along with the psyllium.

As for the Meclizine, Simon was put on this at the emergency clinic (5 days after his initial vet visit). Ataxia? Vertigo? I honestly do not know which term is correct, but the Monday before last (10/22) when this started, I found Simon drooling & vocalizing with a complete loss of coordination. He literally looked like a bobblehead doll, and had rapid eye movement (left to right). Unfortunately, he only has one eye. He’s being treated for a suspected ear infection. In May he was treated for a confirmed ear infection that had very subtle/mild symptoms. At that time, he was given a Convenia injection (yikes) and Tresaderm drops. This was a different/weekend Vet.

I actually adopted Simon from around your area in 2003 when I was doing some work in Miami Lakes! He came from The Cat Network. I had his left eye removed shortly after adoption, and other than the mega colon, he’s had no problems until recently (past year). I also adopted his litter mate and lost him in May. He was \end stage\ FIV for several years (much longer than expected). We didn’t have much luck with homeopathic remedies for him, but did have success with LTCI (think that’s it).

Thanks for additional information. Not much more I can add from conventional medical perspective other than doing what you are already doing. Perhaps consider supplementing with transfer factor which can help boost immune system. Homeopathy is only other option I know. Some cases can be helped while others it is more difficult to advanced suppressed condition.

my 9 year old maltese had surgery 10 days ago-cervical disc compression on spine. He breathing has been sounding wheezy since. I assumed this was due to intubation. He was given methacarbonol, prednisone, and an antibiotic post surgery.. A couple of days post surgery, he still sounded wheezy and seemed to be in pain so we called to see if vet would give him tramadol. The vet said yes, but to stop taking prednisone. 8 days post surgery I took him back to vet because of the wheezy breathing and still appeared to be in pain, and not drinking water. Another vet (original on vacation) said to put him back on prednisone, it should help with pain and inflammation. So currently Charlie is taking the methocarbonol, prednisone, and tramadol. Because his breathing sounds bad, I wonder if benadryl would help, but am not sure of the effects with these other drugs. He does have sinus allergies frequently for which we have given him benadryl, but I’m not sure if he can he be given benadryl while he is on tramadol, prednisone, and methocarbonal. I think he just finished his last dose of methocarbonal tonight, given about 30 minutes ago. We’re still having a hard time getting him to drink water,

I would not give benadryl with all of these other medications. You may want to consult with a homeopathic vet if these odd symptoms persist. To learn more about homeopathy see http://www.beyondflatearth.com or my website http://www.doctordym.com Many homeopathic vets do offer phone consultations.

My dog is about seven years old. She was prescribed prednisone for an injured disc in her neck. The neck is healing fine. We are weaning her off the prednisone as prescribed by our vet. She started experiencing abdominal pain. We took her back to the vet and they said she had a lot of gas. They gave her Barium and said she should be doing better. The also prescribed prilosec, five mg a nite. She still isnt doing well. She is taking prednisone every other day. The days she does not take it, she is in pain and can’t walk and they seem to be getting worse. Is this normal? The days she takes the prednisone are better each time.

I would ask your vet about possibly using the prednisone daily. If not help consider asking your vet for a referral to a holistic vet in your area who offers chiropractic and/or acupuncture, which can sometimes help with disc problems in dogs.

My dog just started two days ago on Furoquid and Enalapril two days ago for enlarged heart & low kidney function. Today I put on PetArmor Plus, which has the exact same ingredients as Frontline which I have been using on him for two years with no problems. He won’t eat today, has had a little water, and has thrown up a couple times just some bile probably. Is this a reaction from the PetArmor possibly? I washed off what was on the outside surface on his hair, but it’s been at least 8 hours so it’s already in his skin. Or could he be having just a reaction to the meds? Please advise. Thank you so much. I’m borderline hysterical! He’s 14, a 3.4 pound Chihuahua. I cooked him ground turkey, rice, sweet potatoes, tried bananas, his favorite, and apples. He won’t go for anything right now and is just curled up resting.

My 11 year old Golden Retriever started having seizures 5 months ago and she was started at 30 mg Phenobarbital 2x/day and currently is taking 45 mg 2x/time. Vet suspects brain tumor as all blood work perfect. We just started Prednisone 10 mg 2x/day. Prior to the addition of the Prednisone, we were giving her 175 mg milk thistle, 400 mg Sam-E, 50 mg Vitamin B-6 and 400 iu Vitamin E per day and want to ensure no problems with continuing this. Also, can the Pheno & Prednisone be given at the same time or should they be separated, and if so, how long between the two.

Pheno and pred can be given at same time. It is fine to keep up with all of those excellent liver supplements. Sounds like you are doing everything you can for your pet. I would also stay away from vaccinations and un-necessary topical and oral pesticides in a pet with seizures like this at this age.

Thank you so much for your reply! We just started the Prednisone 24 hours ago and the change is absolutely amazing already. We thought we were at the end and she now has a new lease on life. She always has had titres vs vaccinations. Re oral pesticides, are you referring to heartworm meds? She currently is on Heartguard Plus. We last administered mid-Sept & live in GA so mosquito population has diminished somewhat but not entirely.

A roomate gave my 55 lb dog Hartz Ultraguard Plus 60+ (Phenothrin 85.7%, (S)-Methoprene 2.3%, OTHER INGREDIENTS12.0%) a week ago and I really wanted him to have K9 Advantix (imidacloprid 8.8%, permethrin 44.0%)used because I know it is effective and Hartz usually is a pretty sketchy brand. When is it safe to put K9 Advantix on my dog?

I have a 22-year-old Westie suffering from canine cognitive dysfunction syndrome, whose back legs work, at best, around 20 percent. Some days they won’t bear weight at all. He’s still eating, but has lost pretty much all muscle mass and now only weighs about 10 pounds. He gets so agitated, since the CDS force him to pace, but he can’t walk very well because of his rear legs… we have elected to try to give him comfort care rather than go the route of euthanasia. The vet started him on 1/4 tablet of 50 mg Tramadol, which has had no noticeable effect on him at all. No drowsiness, nothing. A friend who is a vet tech suggested we might want to add Benedryl to the mix. Is this safe, and what would the correct dosage be? We just want him to be comfortable and get some sleep, especially at night, when he’s only sleeping 15 minutes at a time and whimpering and howling because he can’t move. Thank you so much.

My 12 year old dachshund weighs 12 pounds. She hurts her back every year when it gets colder. Is it okay for her to take Metacam and Tramadol together? I am almost positive she was prescribed them and took them together in the past but I want to be certain. I have some of both medicines left from a previous back injury. She is in a lot of pain. I have given her a 1/4 of Tramadol about 2 hours ago & want to know if I can give her the Metacam right now. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Bridget

Hello, my 60lb 11yo male English Billdog has been on 75mg Rimadyl for at least 6 months. Bloodwork done about a month ago to make sure all is well. No problems. On tuesday, 11/20 he was put on 1/2 pill 20mg Prednisone for 4 days then to 1/2 pill for 8 more days. I’ve noticed his respiratory rate really increase. Called vet yesterday and they said go down to just the 1/2 pill for the remained. Have NEVER told me to quit the Rimadyl. He has gotten 3days of 2x on the predisone, normal rimadyl, 1 day of 1 1/2pill of predisone and now I’m so worried to give it for today. They put him on prednisone for start of skin rash (staph) which he has done well on in the past….but was never on rimadyl at the same time.

My chihuahua was given temaril, terbutaline and amoxicillin today for allergies developed after a trip out of state. He’s still very congested and I’m wondering if adding baby Benadryl is okay for tonight or if it should not be mixed with mess already prescribed this morning.

My 7 year old, 90lb mixed breed dog was diagnosed with lymphoma 2 months ago and is on 10 mg prednisone/day. She is manifesting symptoms of UTI, which was confirmed with AZO strip. Is it okay to administer Clavamox simultaneously with prednisone given her condition?

can my dog take tramadol 50mg with metacam he is 14 months and weighs 25.4 pounds. i need a responce fast my dogs in pain my vet is closed and he just got home at 4 pm from getting neutered he took metacam at 7:30 pm its 12:30 am now the metacam dose he was givin was 0.77 ml plzz respond

Hey Chris. I asked the same question a few days ago. You can look back on this blog. I have a 12 year old dachshund that hurt her back. I asked if she could take Tramadol & Metacam together and the vet on this blog said it was okay for me to give her the 2 meds together. I gave them both to her for a few days. She did fine and is better now. It’ll probably be tomorrow before the vet replies to your question so I thought I would. Just look back a few posts and you’ll see my question and the vet’s reply. Take care, Bridget

Hi. Could the DVM answer my question. I’ve a dog in the middle stages of inoperable bladder cancer (tcc). Currently she takes deramaxx (25mgs) a day, plus I give her tramadol (about 50 mg a day). We just found out from an ultrasound that she also likely has pyrometra.

She isn’t a good candidate for surgery to remove the uterus/ovaries because of her TCC. She doesn’t have much longer to live. However, do you know of any antibiotic therapies we could use at all for perhaps some temporary relief, in the interim, safely, that don’t have harmful interactions with her other medications? We have some clindamycin tablets (that our other dog never finished taking after some surgery). Would that drug be too hard on the kidneys? Would clavamox be better? Thank you very much.

Hi. Could the DVM answer my question. I’ve a dog in the middle stages of inoperable bladder cancer (tcc). Currently she takes deramaxx (25mgs a day), plus I give her tramadol (about 50 mg a day). We just found out from an ultrasound that she also likely has pyrometra.

She isn’t a good candidate for surgery to remove the uterus/ovaries because of her TCC. She doesn’t have much longer to live. However, do you know of any antibiotic therapies we could use at all for perhaps some temporary relief, in the interim, safely, that don’t have harmful interactions with her other medications? We have some clindamycin tablets (that our other dog never finished taking after some surgery). Would that drug be too hard on the kidneys? Would clavamox be better? Thank you very much.

Hi and help!
My 9 year old boxer has been diagnosed with a lung fungal infection and blastomycosis! .. He is starting on ketoconizole 200mg per day and SMZ TMP because he was taking that and the vet says keep him on it. Should I also ask for prednisone to help with his breathing? My vet is stumped as to whether it’s fungal or tumors? Sent out xrays, proved the pro’s to be stumped to! .. His lungs look so cloudy and a tracheal wash won’t prove much and he could not survive it my vet says! .. He is my baby and I am devastated .. Any suggestions?? .. He is my best buddy! Adopted from a shelter in Georgia only 3 years ago, my time with him has not been nearly long enough.

Prednisone is always an option when breathing becomes difficult as long as you have other antimicrobials on board. MAy be a good case to consult with a holistic vet on alternative treatments. To learn more see http://www.beyondflatearth.com or my website http://www.doctordym.com Many homeopathic vets offer phone consultations.

My Pomeranian/Japanese chin is currently on prednisone and robaxin due to a spinal trauma. I have just brought her home after a two day stay at the vet, and she is just so distraught over not having use in her back end, that she just pants and pants. It hasn’t stopped since the injury occurred. Can I give her some melatonin to settle her down? She weighs 12 pounds. How much could I give her if its ok with her other meds? Thank you so much. I really want my little girl to be able to relax a bit.

I have a 1 yr old lab female that just got stitches and staples put in her frint leg. She is therefore wearing an e-collar. She is getting somewhat used to it but she was really stressing out for a good hour and was trying to get it off. She is used to running in the woods and being outside. She can’t do her normal things well such as playing with her stuffed bear, etc. because it requires the use of mouth and paws which she can’t do with an e-collar.

My question is can I give her a benadryl to mellow her put when she gets worked up or is that a bad reason to give a dog that kind of medicine? Right now she is on amoxicillin, one every 12 hours at 400mg. Or will shw be fine and I’m doing this more for me?

This is not a Serious question but a Interesting question. If dogs are colar blind how does my dog know when drinking milk ? He’s not close to me but where he can see me ! He never has any Interest In anything I drink ! But when I grad me a glass of milk his ass is right here sucking up to me for some ice cold milk lol ! So how does my dog Tripp know i got milk when I would think he’s to far to smell it if he could even smell milk like that. Anyone have any answers ? I would love to know how he knows if dogs are colar blind ! Thanks Chris proud owner of a Shiba Inu named Tripp

Well, for one thing color blind means seeing in black & white only and milk is white. And, secondly they can smell milk from a mile away. But, I don’t think they are color blind. I never have. One of my dachshunds always favors all of her green stuffed animals. I think dogs are the only ones that know if they are color blind and they have no way to tell us. Lol.

Our bloodhound had eyelid surgery yesterday to remove 2 growths. He’s on 75 mg of rimadyl twice a day. Can I give him benadryl to settle him down?(shaking his head & making the area bleed)how much is safe to give him? (75 lbs)Thank you!

I have an Olde English Bulldogge that has what my vet said is a pretty bad allergy problem. She was scatching and biting herself badly and smelled horrible. This carried on for several months so I finally took her to the vet where they gave her a cortisone and antibiotic shot along with a prescription for antibiotics. The shots alone fixed her right up and she was better for about a month and now the same problem is happening again. I don’t have any money to take her to the vet so I am wondering if I can give her some cortisone and antibiotics from pet meds to fix her up. She was on cephelaxin for this before and I am not sure what type of cortisone it was. She weighs about 70 lbs. Thank you for you time.

Cortisone and antibiotics would likely be helpful but you will need a prescription from your vet to fill these from 1800petmeds. You can try shampooing with antibacterial shampoo like malaseb shamoo every few days from 1800petmeds, as well as use oral benadryl at dose of 1 mg per pound twice daily. Use oral fatty acid like missing link which may help long term.

Our 9 month old cat is thought to have asthma though they’re having a hard time getting control of it. He takes half a tablet of prednisolone every other day (so 2.5 mg every other day), a puff of albuterol and flovent two times a day and now the vet just prescribed him 10 mg of Claritin once a day and panacure (for worms) in addition to his other meds. They know it’s a lot of steroids so we are trying to wean him off. 10 mg of Claritin seems like a lot for him and I’m concerned about all the meds he’s on. Is this okay? Specifically the amount of Claritin?

I have not had much experience or success using claritin in cats but could be worth a try. Such a young cat. Would be great to consider consulting with a vet knowledgable in holistic medicine, nutrition, nutritional suppements and potentially homeopathy. I worry about long term effects of steroid in such a young animal. To learn more about homeopathy see http://www.beyondflatearth.com as well as my website http://www.doctordym.com Many homeopathic vets do offer phone consultations. However patience and time is needed when trying natural methods on cases like this.

My dog is a terrier mix male, and weighs 25 lbs. He recently was diagnosed w/ a disc problem (still waiting for blood work to rule out anything else). It started when he randomly yelped, then walked w/ his back curved to the side. The vet pressed down and moved his neck, etc, and my dog was fine. We finally got xrays that noticed a calcified disc. He is on a steroid (in the weaning off phase), and since he hasnt improved, is now on tramadol. The vet said a pill 2-3 times a day, 50mg per pill. We noticed elsewhere that dosages were about 1mg per pound. We have given him 2 pills already today. Is 100mg too much for such a small dog? Please help, we are very concerned. Thank you!

I think 100 mg tramadol is too high for dog this size. You could ask vet about muscle relaxants like methocarbimol which is prescription medicine. Also gabbapentin is a prescription pain alternative as well. Consider acupuncture and/or chiropractic from vet in your area or even homeopathy. See http://www.altvetmed.org and http://www.doctordym.com

We just got off the phone w/ the animal hospital, the prescribed amount is okay. Since he’s not showing a lot of improvement (still yelps when he twists/bends a certain way), do you have any suggestions on how to help heal him? I dont want to keep him on pills after this initial treatment. If he’s not better the vet recommended an xray w/ the dog having dye inside him. We’d want to avoid that obviously. Thank you! This blog is great.

this puppy is completely healthy except for 3 legs that are somehow underdeveloped or something. he is on these meds and she thinks if he doesnt walk within a couple weeks that maybe he will have to be put down becaue he will never walk we are too attached to him to let that happen.

We have a 10 years old maltese x. He has been diagnosed with pancreatitis and biliary tract problems. He had been in vet hospital twice in the last 4 weeks. He is now home – with vet prescribing liquid food and medication to be fed via a feeding tube (surgically inserted). We have been feeding him 5 to 6 times a day with the Royal Canine convalescing powder (made up to liquid) – from 30ml each feed to 70ml currently. He has refused food for 3 weeks and lost weight from 10kg to now below 8kg. He has been on the following medications: cerenia (anti nausea), destolit (biliary tract), denamarin (milk thistle), zantac syrup, tramadol (pain), mecloropramide (anti vomit), metronidazole (antibiotic), synulox (antibiotic). With his liquid food we have given him milk thistle powder (from capsules) and vit E (from capsules). We have had a few set-backs with him – when he vomitted after 1 hour of feeding. We cut back volume of food. However, today after giving him 70ml of liquid food, with synulox, mecloropramide and milk thistle + vitE, he vomitted (a really worry for us). We are wondering if he is allergic to synulox? Or, is synulox interacting with mecloropramide and/or milk thistle? Or, are we giving him too much food again? We would appreciate any views on this.

Hello, I am pretty sure I can because my vet gave them both to me for my dog but can I give methocarbamol and prednisone at the same time? His back is hurting. Thanks. I already gave him the muscle relaxer this morning. Thanks.

I have very sad news regarding our dog. Vet said his latest blood test results were extremely bad – the worst. She said time is up and we need to make a decision. Our dog is home, but very lethargic. We still feeding him with medication via feeding tube. He still does wees and poos, but his mouth has got a lot of white sticky stuff (which I wipe every time I feed him). As a last resort, I have tried to give him homeo drops from Fiveleafpetpharmacy for liver and blood cleansing. But, I cannot see any improvement. Vet has also given him vetergesic (for pains) and prednisolone.

Sounds like time is coming close. You certainly sound like you did everything possible. Sometimes the homeopathic remedy arsenicum album in 30c potency can assist in the process of passing. I would stop the liver/blood cleansing drops. My thoughts and prayers are with you.

Thank you, Dr Dym, for your replies. Our hearts have been very heavy with anguish and sorrow. I just cannot bring myself to say goodbye to our dog – when I can still see him moving around the house with me, wanting me to cuddle him. Vet kept saying he is not going to get better. I am praying for a miracle from God. We have cried every day. I just don’t know when is the time to say goodbye.

Another thing is that my husband is going overseas for 10 days (trip arranged more than 4 mos ago) to visit his mother. He is torn between saying goodbye to our baby tomorrow (before he flies out) and leaving me to grieve on my own. Or, for me to keep our baby as comfortable as possible until he returns on Christmas day to spend a few days with our baby before saying goodbye to him.

It is very hard to know when to say goodbye and/or when time is to have pets euthanized. I would try the homeopathic remedy arsenicum album in 30c potency 1 pellot every 8 hours for maximum of 3 doses, which can sometimes help ease fear and calm pets if they are anxious or nervous near the end of life. Can get this from health food store, along with rescue remedy which can help ease transitions when it is time.

Thanks, Dr Dym. I live in London, and google arsenicum album 30c but could not find it listed. Our dog has been lying down most of today – he has moved from one spot to another. My heart breaks to see him just lying there. Yet, 5 weeks ago he was still active and playful with a big smile on his face. Now, he walks with head down, tail down tugging between his back legs.

my dog was prescribed flagyl for diarrhea he is also over due by one week for his heartgard, the vet said no problems giving both, but I wanted to ask you. I gave him the heartgard but have not started the flagyl as his diarrhea may be from a stress reaction he was with a pet sitter while we were away and the stool cultures are pending.
my second question involves frontline plus I read in your responses you do not like giving flea/tick and heartgard together and like to space a week or two apart, is it alright to apply the flea and tick everyother month? my dog hates the frontline plus and runs from it, I think it must stink his skin. any advise would be appreciated

my dog was prescribed flagyl for diarrhea he is also over due by one week for his heartgard, the vet said no problems giving both, but I wanted to ask you. I gave him the heartgard but have not started the flagyl as his diarrhea may be from a stress reaction he was with a pet sitter while we were away and the stool cultures are pending.
my second question involves frontline plus I read in your responses you do not like giving flea/tick and heartgard together and like to space a week or two apart, is it alright to apply the flea and tick everyother month? my dog hates the frontline plus and runs from it, I think it must stink his skin. any advise would be appreciated thank you

Front line can be applied every other month. Only thing to watch for is for ticks, as efficacy for tick control often drops after one month. If he is moving away when you apply this product, then consider other alternatives such as advantix or oral comfortis. Flagyl does not interact with heartguard, but if your dog has diarrhea it may be best to treat and control the diarrhea first with meds like flagyl or bland diet, and wait on giving him the next heartworm pill for a week or two.

Currently my vet is prescribing 4 Emanzen a day and 2 CLAVET-500. my dog has a paw infection, swollen weeping and bleeding. He is 12 years old and has a history of gastrointestinal problems. When I give him the CLAVET he seems lethargic, pants and has a warm nose. Should I stop? I’m very worried.

My dog has red spots all over his tummy, armpits and legs.
The vet prescribed me vanectryl p tablets… He seems very groggy and out of it when taking this medication.
After 2 pills the spots are getting redder.. Took him to emergency and they gave him antibiotics.
Is it okay to mix the antibiotics and vanectyl pills?
I think next step is blood work… So worried

Is it okay to use dasuquin with MSM for small to medium dogs combined with Welactin liquid and teddy’s pride (now known as Evora Pet) oral care probiotic, all mixed together in my dogs food once daily? or should i use one in the morning feeding and two during evening feeding?

My 7 yr. old toy poodle(10lb.) started licking around his genital region yesterday and I noticed some swelling (which was unusual for him) so I took him to the vet. The vet put him on temaril-p. He told me to stop his daily rimadyl, that he has been taking for pain from his luxating patella. He then attempted to place his knee back in place which did not work. This morn. I did not give Buddy his rimadyl but gave him his first dose of temaril-p and now 4 hours later he is exhibiting pain. Do you think it is the lack of the pain pill or from the vet manipulating his knee yesterday? Also will it be okay to stop the temaril-p after only one dose today and give him his rimadyl(he gets 1/4 of a 25mg. tab) tonight? I know the 2 can not be given at the same time. Thanks.

I would follow your local vet’s recommendation regarding medication. Temaril p also has some anti inflammatory pain effects. The pain could be from the patella continuing to luxate out of position. If symptoms persist, sometimes surgery is necessary. Also put him on good joint supplement like glycoflex II from 1800petmeds.

My 78 lb mixed breed dog was just diagnosed with Masticatory Muscle Myositis and will be put on high dose steroids for 4-6 months. He also has IBD and has had surgery for a CCL injury. He is taking Dasaquin, Welactin, MSM, Lubrisyn (hyaluronic acid), Boswellia, Naturvet digestive enzymes, and Brewer’s yeast/garlic. Should I stop any of these supplements before starting the steroids?
I plan to add Milk Thistle and Famotidine when the steroids start. What dose of Milk Thistle should I give?
Thanks for any help.

Sounds like alot of supplements, but all sound like good choices. . Dose of milk thistle varies in dogs. Safe dose would be 100-200 mg daily. I would consider consulting with homeopathic vet, who may be able to help with all of these health issues long term, rather than waiting for next health care crisis to occur. Homeopathy addresses the totality of symptoms over the life of the patient. To learn more see http://www.beyondflatearth.com as well as my website http://www.doctordym.com Many homeopathic vets offer phone consultations, but is not a quick fix but something to consider in chronic disease states like this.

I’m sorry, my mind is in a whirl. I forgot to ask about steroids and heart worm prevention. His takes liquid Ivermectin and is due for a dose Jan. 1. Is it OK to give it since he will be on high dose steroids?
Thanks so much.

Oreo, my shih tzu, is taking Tramadol and Novox for pain from a ruptured ACL, acepromazine for storm anxiety, and using Revolution. Are there any interactions between these drugs that I should be aware of?

Can I give my 15 lb rat terrier Phycox and Welactin? Any other preventative items? She is 11, is a bit overweight and has allergies. Has some teeth issues(i get them cleaned every other year) and tore her ACL last year. Otherwise, she is healthy. Thanks!

My French Bulldog was taking 10 mg of Prednisone for 6 straight days beginning 11/19, then 10 mg every other day until 12/23. He’s now taking Temaril P beginning 12/28…2 tabs every 12 hours for three days then 1 tab every 12 hours as needed for allergies.
My question is…can I also give him a weight appropriate dose of Rimadyl? I’m pretty sure he pulled a muscle while playing outside earlier.
Thank you very much.

I give my 65lb boxer Claratin when she has seasonal allergies. She pulled a muscle and I’m currently giving her asprin for pain relief while she heals up (the last 3 days.) Allergies have kicked in. Can I give her Claratin while she’s till on the asprin regimine right now?

My 12-year-old, 80-pound lab has been on Tramadol & Carprofen for many years (with regular check ups and bloodwork). She sounds (and smells) like she’s having tummy troubles. Is it okay to give Ranitidine, given her other meds? (I have 150 mg Ranitidine tabs on hand that I could split in half.) Thanks much.

Our 12 1/2 year old Basset Hound has had difficulties with persistent pain for years. We adopted him 7 1/2 years ago. He has Carpus Valgus in his left leg creating problems along his neck and spine. When we first adopted him a Chiropractor saw him, and he ended up paralyzed. Our current Veterinarian put him on Prednisone, and it helped him enormously. The swelling in his spine dissipated, and he was walking again. As he aged he has had difficulties with pain and muscle spasms along his spine. Our Veterinarian added meds to help him, and his current med list includes: Previcox, Tramodol, Methocarbimal and Gabepentin. Is it possible to add Prednisone temporarily to help with the swelling of his spine? Is there danger of drug interaction? Thank you. Susan

NO prednisone while on Previcox. Have to stop previcox for a few days before going on it. You could ask your vet about amantadine, which is another pain medicine for dogs. There is a blog on this website on its use. Consider yucca intensive from 1800petmeds.

My 18 year old mini doxi has a malignant tumor on his gum. We had it removed but it grew back quickly and is into the roof of his mouth. It progressed to his sinus cavity…caused nasal bleeding. We tried nose drops and that stopped the bleeding. He is on Baytril for liver infection, tramadol, pepcid, and tylan power for occasional stomach upset. He now has grand mal seizures and was put on phenobarbital. Can all these meds be given at the same time? I have to dilute them in a little water and put down his throat with a syringe or he won’t take them…please advise…and if I have to add clindamycin to the mix for mouth infection can I do that as well? Any drug interactions there…especially Tramadol and pheno?
Thanks so much.

The malignancy has probably progressed to his brain…thus the seizures. We started the pheno tonight. He needs the tramadol for pain….is a quite ill 18 year old … but still trots into the kitchen for his meals…so is still fighting to stay alive. How far apart must the tramadol and pheno be given? He gets tramadol 3 x day…pheno once every 12 hours. Is Baytril okay in the mix? Thanks so much for your quick answer…we are trying so hard with him.

This week, I started giving my 4-year-old, 70 pound lab mix a daily supplement of 300 mg Glucosamine and 50 mg Chondroitin. He is due for his once-a-month Heartguard Plus for dogs (51-100 lbs) pill, which contains ivermectin and pyrantel. Is there any danger in giving him this pill once a month while he takes the supplement?

Hi. Great site!. Is there an drug interaction between Tramadol and Yucca. I was told my 15 year-old GSD with bad hip dysplasia would benefit from 3/4 of tsp. of Yucca, instead of Previcox. But I also give 50 mg of Tramadol? Help Thanks.

Hello. Is there an drug interaction between Tramadol and Yucca? I was told my 15 year-old GSD with bad hip dysplasia would benefit from 3/4 of tsp. of Yucca, instead of Previcox. But I also give 50 mg of Tramadol? Help Thanks.

My 10 y.o. Belgian Shepherd is on Enrofloxacin 150mg daily; Flagyl 200mg BD, and Keflex 500mg bd for the past 2 weeks. Is it safe to give her 15mg Acepromazine to visit the vet as she is very nervous. Thankyou, Sally

Thank you. I give her the seizure meds (Phenobarital) at bedtime as it makes her drowsy. I do have Gabapentin on hand all the time (I take it for neuropathy). How much of a 100mg cap would I give her and would this replace the Phenobarb? She is 6 lbs, 12 year old Pom.

You would have to get the medicine compounded as dose for dog this size would not be more than 10 mg once or twice daily of gabapentin. Check with 1800petmeds if they would compound it for you, or you could check with pharmacy like Stokes pharmacy who you can google and who can ship meds nationwide

Since Deramax is not avail. What is safer: Metacam or previcox. My dog is walking using Tramadol, but his back leg still gives out. Should I use Metacam or previcox too? If so, which one? Thanks so much.

Metacam OR previcox with tramadol. As for going over blood work a slight elevated WBC usually means mild inflammation or infection but it also could mean stress. If you would like for me to review further Tracey, see my website http://www.doctordym.com which discusses how my phone practice works and fees, etc.

I have a 3yr old 60.2 lb F German Shepherd with severe aggression/anxiety. We our now working with a behaviorest who suggest we try medicating her (we’ve spent over $2,000 in trainers thus far) as our last resort. Her vet has prescribed her Prozac 20mg 1 1/2 tabs po q day & Xanax 2mg 1tab po prn may repeat 1/2 tab in 30min ( for training sessions) are these safe doses and also I have heard that prozac causes canine cancer…. Thank you and what a great site you have here !!

Hi Coleen: Sorry for your difficult situation. I personally have not heard of prozac causing canine cancer but would be interested in hearing the source of your information, as I am also interested in its long term effects(besides behavioral) on people. The xanax sounds ok. Only other option I would consider is working with homeopathic vet. To learn more see http://www.beyondflatearth.com as well as my website http://www.doctordym.com Many homeopathic vets do offer phone consultations. This would take time and patience but may be able to be helped homeopathically over time.

Thank you for all the leads (links) to more info and YES I am a big advocate for homepathic methods as I used these methods on my son along with behavioral modification who is ADHD and is now a healthy 20 yr old who seems to adapted well (never used traditional medication) and I was actually wondering about that for my dog! The source of my information regarding the canine cancer came from a close friend who has been in rescue for some time. She has a Golden that has anxiety issues (non aggressive) and she did the research and her vet agreed with her findings.. I will inquire as to where she came to this conclusion. I have no idea on the long term effect either on humans or animals. I did question our dog behaviorest ( who also does rescue work specific with aggression issues) regarding the canine cancer and although she herself has never heard of it (she has recommended medication before on rescues) her final thoughts were in the event that our dog were to have some side effects in the LONG RUN it out weighs her current out look and quality of life as it is now and most prob needing to be PTS… This is a last resort, homepathic or medicated we seem to of hit a serious brick wall. Thank you again so much I will be looking into your suggestions immed!!

Hi! My kitty was injured yesterday and I took her to the vet. She had to have stiches almost the whole length of her tail and down one of her back legs (she had snuck out the door without my knowledge and was in my car engine when I started the car and it cut her.) She came home this morning and the doc sent her home with antibiotics (amoxicillan) but no pain pills. He said he had given her a long lasting cortisone shot. The paper I brought home says cortisone injection with baytril. But she seems to be in a good deal of pain. I have some torbutrol tabs left from when she was spayed. I was wondering if I can give these to her or if it would interact with any other meds she’s had. I hate to see her so umcomfortable. Thank you!

Hi Amy: I dont see any problems using the torbutrol for pain relief in this case although pills dont last long. Check with your local vet if ok. Also consider trying wonderful natural remedy called traumeel from 1800petmeds for pain relief as well.

Hello,
After attempting multiple different behavior modification techniques with a trainer for 7 months, the vet decided that my dog’s separation anxiety was too severe to treat with training alone so she prescribed prozac. Is it safe to use prozac with frontline flea medication and heartworm medication, because I notice it says do not use with flea collars. Thanks!

I have not seen problems with front line, heartworm meds and prozac. Good luck. I have also found homeopathy sometimes helpful in helping pets with chronic anxiety issues. Keep that in mind should prozac fail. To learn more see http://www.beyondflatearth.com and my website http://www.doctordym.com Many homeopathic vets offer phone consultations.

My pet was given fluconazole due to possibility of Valley Fever but initial blood test results came back negative so then she was prescribed Baytril for Pnuemonia but we were advised to keep her on the Fluconazole as well. Thank you

My 14-year old GSD has been on previcox for about a year for arthritis. Last month an X-ray showed a mass in her chest. My vet prescribed prednisone and we took her off the previcox. She did ok until recently, and now cannot stand up on her own and falls after taking a few steps. My vet said I could add the previcox back in as long as I gave her famotidine and watched her appetite. Is this ok? Is there a better alternative?

Thank you! I just picked up some Gabapentin from my vet. I had already ordered some Phycox (not to use with the Gabapentin). Would that be safe with the prednisone if the Gabapentin doesn’t seem to work?

I had to have one of my shih tzu put down last week. My other shih tzu has spent 9 years ~ 24/7 with her. He is grieving terribly, as I am. It has been suggested to give him Sam E (supplement to elevate mood). He is on Tramadol for his back. Can these two be taken together?
Thanks so much!
Carol Dawn

Yes these can be taken together. Also try the homeopathic remedy ignatia in 30c potency 1 pellot twice daily for 3 days to see if this can help with grieving process. Rescue remedy from health food store also may help.

Thank you for the reply. Other professional opinions were to cut back on the carpaquin, which I failed to mention we had re-started (at 2x the frequency) at same time as beginning the first course of proin. I was panicked and did not give you enough info.

WHenever using lots of drugs, there is always possibility of diarrhea, which is then difficult to figure out which is causing it. Also try adding probiotics to meals like fast balance and naturevet enzymes from 1800petmeds which also may help with stool and gut flora.

Hi Dr. My 14.4 year old GSD fell down the stairs a week ago, and xrays revealed a broken toe and badly ankle sprain. Vet beleives it will heal in time,and pend another xray and possible surgery in 4 weeks. Now my dog is chewing his foot, and now needs I believe antibiotcs. HELP! Two questions,
1. will a broken toe heal on its own?
2. Doesn’t Ciproflaxen interact with Gabapentin, Tramadol and Glucosamine? Thanks so much.

I dont think cipro interacts with these other drugs. As for broken toes, they can often heal with supportive splints and/or bandages and rest. I also love the supplement traumeel from 1800petmeds which can also help accelerate fracture healing when used over time. Also great natural pain medicine. Try it.

My dog was having severe arthritis in her hips and was prescribed tramadol and rymadil. We gave her the tramadol (50 mg for a 65 lb dog) (without the rymadil) and she has had an extreme reaction to it; she has been very sedated, sleeping for more than 24 hours. She has also lost her appetite and is somewhat disoriented. She is still drinking water and waiting to go to the bathroom outside, but she has had diarrhea and is not eating much food at all (and she is food-crazy usually). It seems really crazy that it is taking her this long to come off the medication, and her symptoms are not much improved from when we first gave her the tramadol more than a day ago! What can cause this, and will she eventually get better? We brought her to the vet and they checked her vitals and her vitals are all fine, as well.

Yes a Very unusual reaction to tramadol. I wonder if she has a pre existing liver problem, which can sometimes be trouble in tramadol patients. Consider having blood work and/or x rays to evaluate liver. I would think if simple drug reaction she should perk up within a few days, however given her symptoms I think a further workup is needed if symptoms persist.

we occassionally treat our 11 yr old yorkie with prednisone tabs for a chronic cough from a collapsing trachea… seems to work well & the problem disappears for a month or two… but recently she’s been diagnosed with diabetes and we’re treating her with insulin injections twice a day… now the cough is starting again… is it safe to give her the prednisone while she’s on the insulin ?
Thank You

I would not give the prednisone which can complicate diabetes management. Ask your vet for other prescription alternative such as theophylline. You could try homeopet cough medicine which is a homeopathic combination remedy that may help.

Hello Dr. Dym. Our 1.75 year old cocker spaniel was prescribed prednisolone 5mg (1 tab twice a day/4 days; 1 tab once a day/4 days; 1 tab every other day/4 days), ciprofloxacin 250 mg (1/2 tablet twice a day/30 days and fluconazole 200 mg (1/2 tab once a day30 days) for an ear bacterial and fungal infection and overall itching. Are there any issues with using these at the same time?

Can Aproxamine be given with Tramadol (1/4 50 mg. caplet) AND Robaxin (1/4 500 mg. tablet), or should it be given at a different time? Both meds are given together at mid morning and at night around 9:00 p.m. Our dog (18 lbs) is also taking 1/2 tab of Novox 2x a day with meals at a different time from the other two medications.

My 3 month old puppy’s (just adopted her Saturday) incision from her spay is infected. After a visit to the emergency vet, we came home with Rimadyl and Clavamox. During her follow up today, we were given Clindamycin to get to her. I asked if they were ok to take with the other two and the vet said it would be fine. Just wanted a second opinion.

It is ok to use both antibiotics, although it does sound like a bit of overkill to me as clavamox should be fine. You need to monitor closely for digestive upset which can occur with clindamycin or when multiple antibiotics are used.

Thank you for your prompt response! I’ll be sure to keep an eye on her. Another question, can dogs be allergic to antibiotics? It looks as if there are some hives on her ears. I am allergic to all mycins and cilins and was curious if the same thing could occur with dogs.

Concerned about Drug interaction: Keflex & Metronidazole; along with Reglan & Famotidine due to comments from you & other users above. Forgot to ask vet about taking both antibiotics until I was ready to give tonights dose.

Completely healthy dog until double surgeries. Any other recommendations? Thanks for the assistance!

I dont see any problem with these drugs given the situation. Sometimes surgical stresses bring out weaknesses in our pets due to stress on the body, etc. I would try adding probiotics and enzymes such as naturevet enzymes to meals and fast balance from 1800petmeds. If signs persist or worsen, maybe consider consulting with a holistic veterinarian.

Our Boston Terrier has been prescribed Proin for over one year. She is9 years old, 21lbs and takes 75mg p/day (1/2 in morning , and 1/2 in the evening). She also has allergies and we wanted to know if taking Atopica (50mg p/day) would be safe since she also takes the Proin. What potential side effects should we know about with the Atopica itself…and also taking both medications together.

I dont think there are any interactions with proin and atopica. Atopica can cause digestive upset in some animals such as vomiting, etc. Rarely some pets may develop overgrowth of gum tissues in the mouth, as well as occasional problems with the bone marrow, but these are not common.

Well..the reason I asked about the Atopica itself is that she developed a large lump while we were out of town for the holidays (3 weeks) right about where her submanidibular lymph node would be on the left side. we had a aspirate done…which came back inconclusive..and our vet seems to be discounting the possibility of lymphoma..and which is odd to me given that he knows the potential long-term effect s of a immunosuppressant like Atopica (now we know..they were not discussed at all at the vet) ..which she has now been on since mid-November.

I put Hartz Ultra Guard Pro on my cat last week. After a few days I he was still scratching. I took him vet. Vet said Hartz was worst and I needed to use Revolution. He said for liability reasons he could not recommend putting the Revolution on now. He told me to wait three weeks, bathe the cat, wait another week then put Revolution. As I’m still seeing fleas on the cat the Hartz is not working. Has anyone tried revolution so soon to hartz? Will this really harm my cat? More so than dealing with fleas for 3 more weeks?

My 11.5 year old Catahoula just had major dental surgery and is on Rimadyl for arthritis and Clavaseptin for tooth abscess is it safe to give 5 mg per night of melatonin as she does a fair amount of big wandering.

I have a 12 year old mixed breedk, mostly terrier. He was diagnosed with Diabetes ic Oct. 2011. The vet finally got it regulate but a week ago, he contracted some sort of sickness. Was in the hospital for several days, they could find nothing. Sent him home with Metronidazole 100 mg 2 pills 2x’s a day. His sugar level was 300, they said start him back on his regular dose of 6 units 2x’s a day. He is back to how he was when he was first diagnosed with diabetes. drinking tons of water and urinating like crazy. I can’t test him at home, can’t get the blood. I upped him to 7 units 2x’s a day but still has not worked. Can the Metronidazole be spiking his sugar?

i dont think the metronidazole involved but it sounds like your dog may have ongoing pancreatitis. An ultrasound may be helpful in diagnosing issue and best treatment plan. I would also have urine analysis done at vet to see if any urinary tract infections complicating diabetes management.

I have a 12 year old mixed breed, mostly terrier. He was diagnosed with Diabetes ic Oct. 2011. The vet finally got it regulate but a week ago, he contracted some sort of sickness. Was in the hospital for several days, they could find nothing. Sent him home with Metronidazole 100 mg 2 pills 2x’s a day. His sugar level was 300, they said start him back on his regular dose of 6 units 2x’s a day. He is back to how he was when he was first diagnosed with diabetes. drinking tons of water and urinating like crazy. I can’t test him at home, can’t get the blood. I upped him to 7 units 2x’s a day but still has not worked. Can the Metronidazole be spiking his sugar?

Our 10 year old Irish Setter has suffered from seizures for 3+ years and is currently taking phenobarb and keppra. His last seizure(s) was August 2011. At this time he was having cluster seizures for 3 days before the vet got them shut down. We have stopped with vaccinations other than rabies and are very reluctant to introduce any other meds especially if the vet can’t tell us there will be on interaction (an I don’t think so doesn’t get it for us). He currently has a bacterial ear infection and has been on cepholexin (excuse spelling) ear drops and epi-otic cleaner but none of it is working. I read that amoxicyllin is effective in treating bacterial infection. Would there be any interaction with the use of amxicyllin and current seizure meds?

HI Dressia. I have used heartworm prevention less frequently like this without a problem. Also consider working with a holistic vet on diet, supplements, and improving health through great systems of medicine like homeopathy. To learn more see http://www.beyondflatearth.com as well as my website http://www.doctordym.com Many homeopathic vets offer phone consultations.

Our old chow mix (no age because he is a rescue) has been prescribed Clindamycin for a outh bacteria Previcox for arthritis pain and now Tramadol for pain and Methocarbamol for muscle relaxing. Is it ok to take all of these?

My 11 year old 30 lb. mix suffers from mast cell tumors and has just been put on 50 mg. two times a day of Tagamet to help slow down the growth of the tumors along with Noni capsules. She takes 15 mg. of hydrosyzine two times a day for her skin allergies, .2 mg. two times a day of solozine for her thyroid, and dasuquin with msm for her joints. Do I have to worry about any interactions.

My dog is on prozac for separation anxiety. He went in to the vet today for a cut on his head and received staples. They gave him tramadol for pain. I’ve seen a few conflicting answers if they interact with each other. I want to make sure it’s safe for him to take the pain medication without seizures or serotonin syndrome. He would only be on the tramadol for a week or so, as needed, until the staples come out.

Mt 14 yr old toy poodle 15 lbs is taking simplicef 100mg for a spot on his foot that he keeps licking. Can I also give him a benedryl along with the antibiotic? He is still licking the area even with the collar on.

Is it safe for dogs to take acepromazine, cephalexin, benadryl and rimadyl together? My dog just had surgery to have a mast cell tumor removed on his back by his tail. Just seems like a lot at one time…

My 8 yr cross Jack Russell/Maltese suddenly was lethargic,wouldn’t eat and couldn’t go up and down the stairs..almost like he aged 10 years overnight.
The vet tested his blood and urine and said his liver enzymes were slightly elevated.
She prescribed Clavulox 3/4 250mg +Tramal 1/2 50mg morning and night.Should I just continue everything until finished?The Tramal really knocks him around.Also do you think I should test him for Cushings because he also pants at night.

Cushings probably not the cause of his problems. Consider supplements like joint enhancer and proanthozone from 1800petmeds. Also consider transfer factor http://www.tfpets.com May also want to consult with a homeopathic vet http://www.doctordym.com Tramadol more for pain but likely will not make difference in ability to go up and down stairs.

Thank you so much for your speedy response Dr Dym
I am looking into going to a homeopathic vet.I have stopped the Tramadol because he doesn’t appear to be in pain..should I finish his Clavulox..he only has about 3 days left?
I have already started with Milk Thistle sprinkled into his food…I will definitely be going down the homeopathic path.

I dont think the clavamox is making a difference so do whatever you feel comfortable with regarding that. If you have trouble finding a local homeopathic vet, feel free to contact my practice, as I do offer phone consultations. Make sure vet you find is trained in classical homeopathy, as there are alot of ineffective variations out there.

These drugs can potentially be used together, but it is always a concern to have an epileptic seizure patient on combinations of drugs. While ivermart Max would likely be tolorated fine, you have to monitor for increased neurologic reactions such as seizures, etc

I just posted .this med combo is for seziures & I wondered if the heart worm meds could contribute to his problem….He does slobber alot even when not is a seziure. Please help………this is a 80 lb cho lab.

Yes heartworm meds can rarely exascerbate seizures in some animals. You could consider natural heartworm prevention such as quassia bark, which you can get from Fiesta Pet Deli in Pompano, Florida, who can ship it to you.

can my dog take Benadryl 25 mg on top of tramadol 50mg and gabapentin 100mg for pain? He is 26 lbs. I was told it was ok but wanting to double check. my dog is in a lot of pain and needs to get some sleep hoping Benadryl will help plzz someone reply back asap ! thank chris

10 y. o. mini dachshund is on Melatonin 3mg twice daily, dasaquin 1/2 tablet daily, allerg-3 1 pump daily, 1/2 multivitamin daily, prebiotic and probiotic 1/2 tsp. 3 times daily. Today had immediate reaction to one or more of these: DHLP, parvovirus vaccination, corona virus vaccination, bordetella vaccination, rabies vaccination. Vet gave anti nausea shot, steroid shot, Benadryl shot, and fluids. He ate lunch with no meds, but I forgot that his melatonin 3mg was in his dinner so he ate that and I also gave him 12.5 mg Benadryl as vet instructed. He is still swollen on muzzle, has hives, swelling under throat, water pouch from fluids vet injected. My question is will he be okay with the melatonin and Benadryl given so close together? Shots given @ 10:00 am Benadryl and other shots @ 10:30 am. Oral Benadryl and melatonin @ 6:30 pm.

The melatonin and benadryl should not be a problem. What is more problematic and disturbing is why a veterinarian would inject a sensitive toy breed like a doxie with so many needless vaccinations in this age, especially to a dog who clearly has chronic disease. Shameful in my opinion bordering on malpractice . Learn more about vaccinosis on shirleys wellness cafe website and my website http://www.doctordym.com

She did the same with my other mini dachshund (female) who is older than the male. Her reaction was fever, nausea, vomiting, but no swelling, hives, etc. Neither will be getting all vaccinations at the same time in the future.

My dog has valley fever and was given Fluconazole; his cough is getting worse not better; I have Torbutrol from when he had a cold and it is used for coughing- can I give him Fluconazole and Torbutrol at the same time without a drug interaction?
Thank you,
Cindy

My mini-pins begain to itch and scratch all over body and ears shortly after apply Advantage II. Last year they used Frontline but vet is promoting Adv. II. She examined one because I thought they might have mites. She said no sign. Might be allergies. Suggested benedryl. Strange both have this. I think it is Adv II. One Mini-pen has diabeties. Both are 6yrs old. Your thoughts.

In this breed, allergies are likely to inhalent/contact allergies and/or food allergies. I would try the benadryl, as well as shampoo with malaseb shampoo from 1800petmeds every few days. Also add salmon oil from 1800petmeds, as well as try yucca intensive as natural alternative.

My 100 pound American Bulldog mix has had very bad diarrhea and I took him to the vet. We have tried all kinds of things to help my poor puppy including Prozac. I was wondering if he can have the Prozac(Fluoxetine 20 mg’s) and also tylan? Our vet said that everything we do is more of a Band-Aid treatment since they can’t find a cause. I look forward to hearing from you and thank you for your time.

I dont think there is a problem using the prozac and tylan powder. If your pet has such a wide variety of symptoms, you may want to learn about and explore homeopathic medicine. To learn more about homeopathy, see http://www.beyondflatearth.com as well as my website http://www.doctordym.com Many homeopathic vets do offer phone consultations.

No problem using prozac and tylan at same time. however if your pet has wide variety of symptoms, it may be good idea to consider homeopathic approach. To learn more see http://www.beyondflatearth.com as well as my website http://www.doctordym.com Many homeopathic vets like myself offer phone consultations.

I have a 13 year old Scottie that was diagnosedwith diabites today. Started on ver low dose of insulin. I have been giving him a half of low dose Tramadol To help with pain. He also gets a liver support suppliment as a year ago his liver levels were 12x normal. They are now half that. Can I give him tramadol and insulin together?

tramadol and insulin can be used together but must be careful with tramadol in patient like this on long term treatment as tramadol can be very hard on liver. Consider consulting with holistic oriented vet on improving health and diet overall. see http://www.doctordym.com for more information.

The doctor put my golden retriever on Methocarbamol and said to give with zantac and also on prednisone for arthritus. Is this an ok combination? She was checked out by him first. For some odd reason once a year she goes paralized in her hind legs for about 2 weeks. But after 2 weeks on meds she is up and running again.

This combo of meds if fine. I would also consider supplementing your pet with joint supplements for long term joint health, including super joint enhancer from 1800petmeds, as well as antioxidant proanthozone, and yucca intensive.

I have a 7-8 week o;d german shepperd who we recently treated for worms and parasites. She is on Primor . Before we even took her to vet i noticed she had a little discharge and it stayed sticky down there. I did not take her to vet so noone asked about that for me. Now she is on antiboics and was treated for those things and we also put flea n tick meds on her. Everything seems to be working but she been panting really hard and breathing fast. i thought she was hot or thirsty bt neither helped. shes not doing any activity to leave her breathing this way. Can it be a side effect to meds or is this normal ?

Sounds like too many meds at one time on growing puppy. Primor can occasionally cause reactions, as well as topical flea/tick meds at same time. I would try and space out wormers, and parasite/antibiotic meds from one another in young puppies.

My cat has been on 10 mg prednisolone (5 mg twice a day), 62.5 mg clavamox and 1/2 of a Pepcid AC for 10 days to treat possible pancreatitis and gall bladder inflammation. Just cut pred dose to 5 mg once a day, Clavamox course is completed. Do we still need the Pepcid? Not sure if it was to ease side effects of Clavamox or of Pred (or neither??)

usually clavamox is a 10-14 day course, and prednisone is typically tapered slowly over time, pending response to medication and condition being treated. Pepcid is fairly harmless drug that can be safely continued long term if needed for nausea/vomiting, etc

I’ve got a list of things my cat is on and we’ve just been told to add two things, so I wanted to get a second opinion because I worry my vet may have forgotten some of the things he was already on long-term. He has kidney disease, low potassium, constipation, and now, a sinus infection as well as a tooth with a likely abscess and to top it off, mildly high blood pressure. The poor guy can’t catch a break, but is still acting like he feels fine. I’m trying to figure out how to break up his medication, or if I can give it all in one sitting, because we syringe it to him and he’s not a big fan.

We are being told to add Baytril for the sinus infection and tooth, and also he had high blood pressure and elevated kidney values so also they want to add Amlodipine. I will be adding those to a renal food and syringing it to him.

I’ve read that Baytril must not be given orally within two hours of products containing calcium or aluminium, so the Aluminum Hydroxide will be given 2 hours after the Baytril. Are there any other interactions I need to be concerned about?

Hi, my 18lb. 6 year old Bichon just got spayed today & had to have a tooth pulled. She seems miserable and scared w/this cone on her head & she keeps whining & shaking. They said to give her previcox 29mg once a day in the morning for 6 days for pain & the cephalexin twice a day for 10 days. I was wondering if its ok to give .5mg of Xanax later in the afternoon or evening to help her relax. I’ve been trying to find a drug interaction checker for dog medications but have been unsuccessful. Are there any interactions between these medications & do you think it’s safe to give her the Xanax to comfort her?

Can we give her aspirin for breakthrough pain since the previcox is only supposed to be once a day? What dose would be ok? Are there any reliable websites or apps for dog medications/interactions that you could recommend? Thank you for your help.

Hi there, Dr. Dym!
I have a question regarding an interaction for my little nine pound Doxie. She is currently taking 5mg Selegiline daily for her aging mind. Is it safe to give her dosage of Sentinel to her today? She takes the Selegiline in the morning, and I wanted to give the Sentinel to all three of my pups at dinnertime.

I had seen something in the Selegiline guide about tick treatment so I wanted to check with you first before giving her the pill because I know it’s a combination pill. None of my three have ever had any issues on Sentinel before, but the last time she took it she was not on her Selegiline.

Thanks, Dr. Dym. I’ve been hesitant to even give it to her. She’s a rescue, and we are unsure of her age. She also has a slight heart murmur. At a certain age is it okay to not give this med? I guess I’m just afraid of all the toxic chemicals going into her little body. I read so many horror stories about bad reactions – which is why we waited until Sentinel was back on the market.

Hello – I have a 40# 1 1/2 year old female Shar Pei. She broke her femur approx 2 1/2 weeks ago.. She had surgery and had a pin put in to fix. She is a very anxious dog and does not like to be caged, due to this she injured herself more breaking the same femur in another spot. Our vet has fixed this also. He had to prescribe her some stronger pain meds. She is currently on antibiotic Clavamox 250 mg, and Rimadyl 75 mg, today he added Tramadol 50 mg. Wondering if there could be an interaction between Rimadyl and Tramadol meds. He is out at a conference and I am unable to reach him. He has called periodically to check on her. I sent him a message to ask about interaction but have not heard back. He just prescribed the Tramadol today. Worried about giving both pain meds together. Thank You!

My dog received a Baytril injection today. The vet also changed her pain medication to Deramaxx from Tramadol but did not tell me whether to start the new pain meds tonight or tomorrow. I am not sure which pain med to give her tonight. Could someone please advise.

Hi Dr. Dym! My 7 year old Westie had ACL surgery on May 14th and was on Metacam for the first week post-op. May 31 she should some signs of pain and the vet thought maybe she tore some adhesions and recommended ice and a couple days of Metacam which I did. June 1 I gave her Heartgard and June 2 I gave her the monthly dose of Certifect which I have been using on her perviously. By June 4, she was in the vets office having her fur shaved and washed because the Certifect eroded away at her skin. Her skin was seeping and oozing from the burn. She had open sores and scabs. I felt horrible, but I still have no idea why this happened. I can only assume it is is the drug interactions since it never happened before, but the vet denies any relation between the two. Without knowing what casued the reaction, I am too afraid to try anythig on her next month. I used Frontline Plus in the past as well and it never seemed to bother her, but neither did the Certifect. I am tempted to move to more homeopathic/herbal options in the future and stay away from the pesticides all together, but will that be enought to protect her? I am really not sure how to move forward. Any advice or thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

HI Kelly. Sorry to hear about your Westie. The stress of surgery and multiple drugs/chemicals, etc may have made her more susceptible to reaction to certifect this time. Perhaps try more natural product alternatives like flea free from 1800petmeds or perhaps ones from http://www.wondercide.com or http://www.cedarcide.com

My 6 year old wheaten terrier who has along history of allergies was given NSAID Metacam for pain when jumping up on bed or getting down. She became very itchy and gave herself hot spots. Vet discontinued Metacam. He then gave Vet gave her Simplecef and after tenth day her hind quarter collapsed. She could not support weight on her back left leg. She could hardly stand to defecate.He said not related to Simplecef but I stopped it and now use of both legs returning. she still has hot spots. Do you think it is safe for her to go on Clavamox? Could it cause the same reaction? I went on internet and found multiple pages of dog owners complaining about Keflex causing hind leg lameness and kidney problems. I know that both drugs are in the same drug class of ceplasporins. Thankyou very much.

I have a 12 year old female min pin and she was diagnosed with severe pulmonary hypertension by a Doppler ultra sound. The vet has put her on Vetmedin 1.25 twice a day, sildenafil (Viagra) 30 mg per day, dexamethasone 1.5 (half a tablet every other day) and furosemide 20 mg as needed for panting twice a day.. I have not been using the furosemide because she is not “panting” and from what I understood, this is a diuretic and causes her to urinate quite frequently. So, when I DONT give her these meds, I notice that she is frequently STILL urinating quite often and is ALWAYS thirsty. Could all these meds be effecting her kidneys? I am religious about giving her all the rest of the meds daily except for this furosemide. She is not getting worse, but not getting better either (which I know there is not a cure). Are these meds a normal regimen of treatment for this type of diagnosis? The last time I took her to the vet, I spent A LOT of money on all these test and keeping up with all of her meds (monthly meds are running me around 350-400 a month). should I be increasing her meds at all and SHOULD I give her the furosemide more often? just wondering what the most important meds are in this group.. she originally had a cough which she no longer has but I do hear the crackling sound in her chest when she breathes. Also it seems that she is bloated looking.. Can you give me some advice on what all these meds are and more info of the specifics of the furosemide?

Not sure the reason for the furosemide which is not really part of treatment regimens for pulmonary hypertension. Not sure point of dexamethasone either. OTher drugs are all part of treatment of pulmonary hypertension. I would make sure your dog does not have any secondary liver or kidney issues or diabetes, but most likely dexamethasone is causing increased thirst. I would consult with specialist who did ultrasound as to which meds are most critical here.

Thank you VERY much..I know prior to having this “doppler” test, she was perscribed the furosemide and I asked the vet if i should continue this medication and she advised “only when panting hard”… I am a little UNeasy on how many persriptions are really necessary.. I appreciate your time on this matter

My dog was prescribed prednisone for a cough yesterday. She also takes a half tablet of Previcox once a day in the morning along with a glucosamine supplement. I forgot to tell the vet that she is currently taking the previcox. I tried to call this morning but she is not in until tomorrow. I never thought about the combination until after I gave her the medicine this morning. Should I be concerned, she has only had one dose?? Should I discontinue the previcox until she is done with the prednisone?? Also, can I give her something to suppress the cough until the steroid begins to take effect?? Thank you!

I have an 11 year old pug who was just prescribed Clavamox for a possible skin infection. About 2 weeks ago we started her on a daily joint supplement that’s mainly Glucosamine and Chondroitin (also contains MSM, Hyaluronic acid and vitamins). Today is her scheduled day for her monthly Iverhart tablet, and I’m worried about too many drugs in her system at once and possible negative interactions. Should I be concerned, or is okay to go ahead with the Iverhart and the joint supplement in conjunction with the Clavamox?

Very kind of you to do this! My 35-lb dog has just had his leptospirosis vaccine two days ago, and was put on Temaril-P due to inflammation in the ears (allergies) at the same time. Today he is scheduled for his monthly Heartgard, but given the steroids and the recent vaccine, I didn’t know if I should hold off. Any advice you can provide would be greatly appreciated!

I am not a fan of any lepto vaccination and would encourage you not to get more in the future. I find dogs who get lepto vaccinations who are predisposed to skin allergies often get alot worse in the weeks to months ahead after the lepto shot. I would wait on the hearguard one week given the recent immune stresses.

My 16 year old dachshund has been diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension and has had a heat murmur all her life (vet suspects CHF). She has been on the following medications with NO problems what so ever:
Furosemide 12.5mg twice a day
Sildenafil (C) 5mg twice a day
Vetmedin 1.25mg twice a day
Enalapril 2.5mg twice a day

My doxie has had some spasms in her neck so we went to a vet specialist yesterday, who gave her an acupuncture treatment and, knowing her other medications, prescribed her:
Tramadol 1/4 of a 50mg tablet two to three times a day
Methocarbamol 1/8 of a 500mg tablet three times a day

She’s had a few doses of the Tramadol and the Methocarbamol since yesterday and this morning had her first ever Grand Mal seizure!!

Should my doxie be on heart medications AND these other medications (Tramadol and Methocarbamal) at the same time?

Hi Kerri. Usually tramadol and methocarbimol dont cause any seizure meds. Perhaps the acupuncture treatment was not appropriate. I prefer clients see a veterinarian trained in Traditional chinese medicine and a more holistic perspective before using acupuncture.

My 75 pound Golden Lab has been taking Prozac (60mg daily) but is experiencing additional anxiety due to fireworks and thunderstorms. Can I give ‘ACE’ during the evening (when the loud noises appear) in addition to the daily Prozac (generic) to relieve his severe anxiety? He shakes, teeth chatters, quivers, hides and whimpers at the simple sound of one firecracker or low muffled thunder sound.

I dont think the acepromazine would be a problem with the prozac. Check with your local vet however on whether it is ok. also can consider trying natural calming agent like L-theonine which you can get from health food store at dose of 300 to 400 mg every few hours.

Hi. I first want to say thank you for sharing your knowledge. My dog (8 lb chihuahua) broke his leg. He had to have a plate with screws inserted to hold it together. The doctor had him on 50 mg of tramadol prior to the surgery. Today she also prescribed Metacam .5 (lo dose) (once daily) and Cephalexin 50 mg/ml/100ml (twice daily). Can he continue to take the tramadol? He is obviously in quite a bit of pain (he whines a lot, and that is not normal for him) and I want him to be as comfortable as possible but I don’t want to give him the tramadol if it is going to interact with the other meds. Hope to hear from you soon. Thank you in advance.

My 11 pound dachshund hurts her back sometimes and the Vet prescribes her Tramadol & Metacam to be taken together. It is okay for your dog to take these together. The Cephalexin is an antibiotic & won’t react with the other 2 meds. I had also asked the same question on here and this Vet said there was no known interactions between Metacam & Tramadol. You can find my question on this site with the Vet’s reply. Have a wonderful day! Bridget

Can I give my dog Reishi with green tea-immunity boost, fish oil (600 mg), and Dasuquin with MSM? She in a 10 year old Shichon, and has swollen lymph nodes and is otherwise acting healthy but doctor suggested immune system is weak. She is already on the Dasuquin and fish oil together, just want to make sure these three won’t interact! Thank you!

We have a 75lb Rottie with severe hip displasia that has been on 2 Tramadol (50 mg) twice daily with Glucosamine (500 mg) supplements. We were unable to get her Tramadol refilled today, but have Torbutrol (10 mg) from another procedure done a while ago for our German Shepherd. Would it be safe to give the Torbutrol if last dosage of Tramadol was given about 24 hours ago?

My 16 year old Italian Greyhound was prescribed prednisolone 5mg for 10 day and then every other day for swelling of salivary glands and lymph nodes on the neck. Recently he fainted on the street and was taken to the emergency room. Tests revealed a mass in his chest, masses in his liver and some nodules in his left lung. I am now also giving him Clavamox for swelling of neck as it somehow helps and Denamarin. Should I attempt to to put him on a lower dose of prednisolone after 10 days or keep up with the dose to keep him as comfortable as possible?

Spoke to my vet today, so I am clear about the prednisolone. My dog weights 18 pounds: how much Pepcid can I give him to help his stomach? Also is it alright to give him Benadril in the evening to relieve swelling and help him sleep and how much is appropriate? A very sad time for our family but we are all trying to make our pup Mortimer as comfortable as possible. Thank you.

I am concerned about giving Phycox and receiving vaccinations. Should I withhold the Phycox on days that I receive vaccines or administer flea/tick medication or hearworm medication? I do not know if there are any known interactions.

I dont like subjecting our pets to multiple immune challenges on the same day. So I always separate vaccinations from other drugs/pesticides, etc, as well as I always give flea/tick medicine 7 days apart from heartworm medication in our pets.

I am concerned about giving my dog Phycox on days that I receive vaccines. I do not get my rabies and leptospirosis vaccine on the same day. Should I withhold the Phycox for a few days after receiving the vaccines? What about on days that I give topical flea/tick medication or heartworm medication? I do not know if there are any know interactions?

I have just started giving Phycox everyday as a joint supplement. I have spaced my vaccines several weeks apart. My heartworm is spaced 5 days from my lepto vaccine. I am wondering do I skip the Phycox all together on the days that I get the vaccines or give the heartworm? It is something that I am going to use on a daily basis.

My 5 year old mix yorkie/pom has been experiencing frequent and harsh bouts of wet coughing/honking and sometimes coughing up phlegm, but not always. We have had her teeth cleaned, as the first vet said this was her issue. This has continued for several months. Bloodwork and xrays have been inconclusive. From a second vet she has been on a round of temarilP, theophyllin, and cough tabs for about three months which causes her to drink lots of water and urinate frequently. This cocktail seems to let her rest somewhat easier, but she is not her usual perky self and does still have episodes of hard coughing/hacking. I have at times given her benadryl to rest. Being on a limited budget, I am wondering if this is the best I will be able to do for her….and she will never be back to her old self. Unfortunately I can’t afford a scope up the nostrils to look for a possible infected blockage or allergy testing as the vet stated her problem could be a collapsing trachea, allergies, COPD, or an infected blockage. I guess I am just looking for reassurance that on my budget things will either stay the same or hopefully get better? Just looking for a little direction. I certainly appreciate your time and expertise with my sweet Verdel. THANK YOU!

Sounds like you are doing everything possible. Instead of the benadryl and cough tabs, perhaps ask your vet for script for hydrocodone(hycodan) which is wonderful cough suppressant in dogs. Also can try homeopet cough remedy to see if can help. Can find this at 1800petmeds or on line

Ask vets about prescription medicine called hydrocodone, which I find is wonderful and safe cough suppressant in dogs. Also consider adding the combination homeopathic homeopet medicine for coughs which also may help.

My American Cocker Spaniel is currently taking Enalapril and Lasix for enlarged heart. I am wondering whether or not it would be safe to give her Trifexis. Fleas love her and she needs her heartworm treatment.,

Needing a second opinion: Switching my 5yr old, 7lb yorkie to revolution as they discontinued his old flea/tick med. He had his heartworm pill last week (8 days ago)… is it safe to give him Revolution today? The vet said it’s fine… just seems like it’s to close…

I’m hoping for a definitive answer. Is it safe to use both Trifexis and a Seresto collar? My healthy 18mo old Terv has successfully used Trifexis most of his life, but we need a boost on tick prevention. He developed a sensitivity to Vectra after 4 applications, so I’m looking for an alternative.

My brother’s 13 1/2 year old Lab was diagnosed yesterday with spondylosis. The vet gave an injection of cortisone and prescribed 10 mg of Prednisone – 1 tab twice/day for 2 days, 1 tab once/day for 5 days and 1/2 tab once/day for 5 days; also 50 mg Tramadol every 8 hours if needed. Also yesterday, an aspiration of a lump along his jawline revealed mast cells. The vet has recommended surgery to remove it once Casey is done with the pred which she’s hoping will also help shrink the lump prior to the surgery. I was talking to my vet today and he suggested that my brother put Casey on Zyrtec (or Benedryl) & Pepcid for the MCT. I forgot to tell him about the Pred & Tramadol though. Would it be OK for Casey to be getting these 4 meds or are there any adverse interactions? Thanks so much!!

Hi Linda. I dont think there will be any problem with any of these medicines together. I would also strongly support a combination antioxidant that I have had great results in cancer cases called Canine Health by Life Vantage. To order this wonderful supplement go to http://www.mylifevantage.com/drdym Also learn more about human version at http://www.abcliveit.com

My dog is starting slow kill heartworm treatment. My vet has prescribed Tri-heart plus, doxycycline, amoxicillin, diphenoxylate, and Denamarin. I’m confused at all of the meds an trying to give so many things at one time. Denamarin in the early morning (empty stomach) then doxyclycline 2hours later and at night. What I don’t understand is why she is on amoxicillin and diphenoxylate?

I have a Bichon Frise who Vets and a Dermatologist say has an allergy, because he will chew his paws off given the chance. He has been on Medrol, Phenobarbitol, Gabapentin, Benadryl, Prozac, Cyclosporin, Prednisolone, Acepromizone, and allergy shots trying to find a combination that will control his itching to no avail. When he gets agitated is when he does most of his chewing. If he is distracted he sort of forgets about the paws. I am thinking this is more mental than physical.

Can Gabapentin and Prozac be given at the same time? My guess is no, but I need an answer since I cannot get a hold of my Dermatologist until Monday and the dog is having fits.

I have an almost 12 years old siberian husky who started having seizures 1 1/2 years ago and after tests and liver biopsy discovered he had copper storage disease which we went through initial treatment and now on maintenance with penacillamine, ursodiol, denamarine, and Vit E. His grand mal seizures started out with 4 months apart (not on meds per our vet since it was so infrequent) then went to 1-2 months as we went into the maintenance process as 2nd liver biopsy came back all normal. This Monday, he had one and I gave him 250mg marthocarbomol twice as before to help with his reoccurring pulled neck injury during seizure (approved by vet). Next day, he had 3 more seizures and vet office gave him a shot of diazepam which stopped seizure for 13 hours then 2 more the following day. On 3rd day, I also started giving him taurine 500mg twice daily and melatonin to try helping with his seizures since he has liver issues.

I read one article saying melatonin and diazepam are bad combinations out of all I could find. Is it true? Started on 4.5 days, he started to have muscle spasms. Is it due to all the meds? Will the spasms stop?

HI Lucy. Very complex situation. The muscle spasms may or may not be due to the drugs. I am not familiar with melatonin and diazepam interacting. However I have not found melatonin helpful in seizure disorders. You could ask vet about alternative prescription drug like Keppra which could be option.

Our 70lb, 8-year old Bernese mix has arthritis in both knees, and he has been getting Glucosamine/Chondroitin, Fish Oil and Dog Gone Pain (3 units per day). When he hurt one of his arthritic knees three weeks ago and was in much pain, we stopped the DGP and instead started him on Tramadol (50mg twice a day). We would like to get him back on the DGP (to help fight the inflammation), but don’t know if it is safe to give the DGP and the Tramadol (and the other supplements) at the same time. Also, we would like to slowly take him off the Tramadol (to avoid liver damage), but are wondering whether we should first reduce the daily Tramadol dose (e.g. from two to one 50mg pill) before taking him off of it completely ?

Tramadol does not have to be weaned down and can be stopped when desired. I dont see problem with DGP and tramadol at same time, along with other supplements. I would also consider the GREAT antoxidant stress reducer I have found in practice called Canine Health by life vantage. To order this wonderful supplement that I have found reduces oxidative stress such as degenerative joint disease, go to http://www.mylifevantage.com/drdym Also add the antioxidant proanthozone from 1800petmeds as well.

Fish oil and L-arginine are fine. I would also strongly recommend the wonderful combination antioxidant that helps reduce oxidative stress known as Canine Health By life Vantage. To learn more about how Canine health works and the human product protandim, see http://www.abcliveit.com To order them go to http://www.mylifevantage.com/drdym

I have a feeling I should not have done this but already did since my 14 year old cocker was going absolutely nuts with what seemed like itching inside his body. He was kind of curved like and running back and forth. He’s also drinking quite a bit. He has been on metacam on and off for years. I started him on temaril-p with no time in between and he seems so much better right now – last two nights no sleep at all. How much should I be concerned about the temaril-p…I have enough to do around a 7 day regimen, slowly decreasing. He is 25 lbs. I gave him 2 this am and 2 this pm as per old prescription ( I know but I was desperate at 5 am). It says 1/100 on the pill. The only thing is that he is drinking a lot. His skin is in very bad shape and I just gave him a medicated bath in Keratolux. He’[s on soloxine for thyroid.

Thank you for answering so quickly. I know not to continue to use metacam with temaril-p. I am just concerned about the switch from one to another with no time in between. He had kidneys tested recently and all was fine.

My dog has had a problem with runny nose and legarthy for over 2 years. The vet is trying several options as I cannot afford a cat-scan or endoscopy. Is it OK to give him Enalapril & Ketoconazole? Also what about Benedryl or Loratadine?

My dog has had a problem with runny nose and lethargy for over 2 years. The vet is trying several options as I cannot afford a cat-scan or endoscopy. Is it OK to give him Enalapril & Ketoconazole? Also what about Benedryl or Loratadine?

My dog is currently taking Tramadol and Metacam. She has been having difficulty going to the bathroom over the past few days but today she has been having frequent diarrhea. Can I give her Pepto Bismol to help soothe her stomach while she is on these other two medications?

Additional info (may not be significant, but just in case): My dog is a nine month old female pitbull terrier (blue and white in color). She weighs 44 lbs and has not yet been spayed. She has been prescribed Tramadol 50 mg in the amount of 1.5 tablets every 12 hours, as well as Metacam 32 ml in the amount of one 44 lb dose every 24 hours.

I accidentally gave my dog Enalapril twice today; once this morning (his regular dose) and then just this evening. Will he be OK? Also he is getting nose bleeds. Yesterday just a little and today it is worse. He is also on Azthromycin. He gets it in the evening and I have not given it to him yet. This is just his 4th dose. Could that be causing it? Thank you for your help. So worried….

Second dose of enalopril will not be a problem. As for nose bleeds, there are many causes from high blood pressure to tick born diseases to clotting issues. Best to have vet evaluation and blood work to sort these out.

Do you recommend crate rest for conservative treatment of a dog with a partially blown disc with some loss of sensation in hind legs? My vet hasn’t. Can I give my dog Valium to calm him down in the evening so he doesn’t walk around the house all evening and aggravate it? Can I give that along with the Prednisone and Gabapentin?

Do you know anything about veterinary acupuncture? (partially blown disc) The first treatment went okay but after the second one he got worse and this is day 6, would a healing crisis last this long? He wouldn’t settle down for the treatment as well this time, stood up and kept trying to walk around, could that have caused it?

I dont think the acupuncture likely caused it, but perhaps the acpuncturist should change points when treating your dog next time. You could also try the homeopathic remedy Nux vomica in 30c potency, which may help as well.

My 14 year old cocker has a lot of issues. I am about to take him to a dermatologist as per the vet I visited today. I had him on Temaril P to control the itching which almost seemed to be coming from inside. I went to another vet (today) for another opinion, and he gave me Dexamethasone while I go to the dermatologist. Which one is better? My dog reacted immediately to the Dexamethasone and it is a lot less expensive. I had just run out anyway. Am I not getting something by not using the Temaril? He’s on soloxine and ointment for his ears and has been on cephalexan forever. Thanks for any help you can give.

Tough situation given your pet’s age. I would consider trying a hydrolyzed protein prescription diet which may help with chronic allergies. Consider royal canine anallergen diet many vets carry or Hills Z/D. Temaril p is safer drug to use long term than dexamethasone. Also ask your vets about prescription drug called atopica which is steroid alternative.

I have to tell you I am so totally confused about his diet and what you recommended as well as what I have been reading….he is currently on Natural Balance Sweet Potato and Salmon and the Royal Canin HypoAllergenic Duck for some wet food. I’ve been told to stay away from the grains, chicken, turkey…etc..and am trying to do so (although he is getting a little chicken.).which in in the royal canin anallergen…..not to mention the Hills is $35 for 8 pounds..! Here’s more of the confusion – he SMELLS awful so I know he is yeasty – I know any sugars are bad for yeast so then what about the sweet potato…confused! I’ve also been trying Apple Cider Vinegar…between the itching, the skin issues I am no longer sure what food he should be eating or meds he should be on. I’ve been making homemade hypoallergenic treats – oat flour, oats, a little peanut butter, molasses.. Thanks for any help and listening to all of this!!

Diet is not always the whole answer with allergic pets, as the more common allergic skin disease is known as atopy, or inhalent/contact allergies. As for diets, it may take experimenting to find out what is best for him. I find that allergic skin dogs do better on low carb, low grain diets. Commercially I have found Wysong epigen diet quite helpful, or the Wysong Archaetype diets from 1800petmeds. Proper home made diets for allergic skin disease can be found on http://www.k9petchef.com

My dog is a golden/lab mix 12-13. she had to have larnygeal tieback surgery 3 mths ago . then a month ago she went totally blind. Since going blind, she breathes through he mouth only, and I have noticed she is getting no air through her nose. I notice green crustacion in her nose too. I clean them out several time a day with warm water and q tips. The ophtamologist said no signs of detached retina or anything , he did all test on her.. He said he thought she had gme, They started her on prednisone 4o mg twice a day , for 10 days, the went down to 20 for 10 days . the 10 for a week. They also gave her 800 mg of doxcycline too. She lost so much muscle mass in her head and seems so weak. He said she has no signs of a tumor. but………. took her to a neurologist and he said she has slight signs of her left eye drifting down, and left legs seem longer to uncurl when pulling it under. It doesn’t do that for me though. So they tapered her off the preds, and she got horrible reflex, and was burping . I rushed her to vet , they put her back on it at 20 mgs for 10 days, then 10 for a week, and in two day it will be 10 every other day for 3 days. First my opthamologist said with her Rme it would be dangerous to get a MRI and Spinal TAP, the neurologist he thinks she will be fine. It is too the point now that she cannot breather through her nose and between the breathing through her mouth and the snorting and coughing when she drinks water, she sounds horrible. So many times I have taken her in thinking that she had aspiration pneumonis and never has this happened. They said for her age her labs are excellent and she looks like 9 yrs old, but I notice the muscle wasting in her head. How dangerous do you think it would be to get the Mri, they said at this point it is the best way to diagnosis her and treat her, The internal medicine vet said maybe the reason she is having trouble breathing is because a tumor is blocking her optic nerve (blindness) and nasal passage. But she said taking a tumor off in that area is dangerous. But radiology is bad too isn’t it? I want to do the best for her. Yestefday I took her in caues she was dehydrated , I think possibly because I was only giving her water a liitle at a time cause I am so afraid she will aspriate. My vet said not to worry about water, just food, her water bowl is elevated too. Also she is on prilosec, can I give her pepcid also at night and benydryl, she has trouble sleeping cause she breathes with a open mouth and gurgles a lot . scares me to death.
thank you , sorry for so long letter but need to convey everything.

Pepcid and benadryl should not be a problem. If my dog I would not put her through risky MRI, as too many anesthesia risks and doubtful they will learn anything that will truly make a difference with her treatment outcome. I would also consider a more homeopathic approach. To learn more see the book dr PItcairns guide to natural health for dogs and cats by Richard Pitcairn, dvm, phd ALso try and find local vet homeopath http://www.theAVH.org

My dogs regular vet is away on vacation and is at the point in her health where we are at the vet 1-2x a week…since her regular vet is gone I just started seeing a new vet. My dog was diagnosed with mesothelioma and just recently pulmonary hypertension and right side heart failure. My dog was put in Viagra and was doing fine until her abdomen started constantly filling with fluid. She is getting drained once a week which is not good. This new vet put her on pimobendan along with her viagra, added benazepril, and she is already on spirinolactone. I think my dog isn’t reacting well as her walking has become weak, her appetite poor and also an diarrhea. This seems like a lot of meds are these even safe to mix together????????????

My 3 year old small mixed breed dog has been prescribed Cipro for an UTI. Is it safe to give her the monthly dose of Iverhart Max heartworm meds and First Shield Trio flea drops while she is still taking Cipro? Should we delay the regular monthly meds until she is finished with the Cipro? Thanks!

My GSD will be 8 in October. Last month we started her on Previcox 227 for some hip pain. She seems to be doing much better and is more active. She also has incontinence issues. Not unusual in a spayed older female dog. We have pee pads down and waterproof covers on her side of the bed. Lately, because its easier for her to move now, she hasn’t leaked on the bed in a long time and uses the pee pads in between trips outside. My vet recommended Proin 50 for the incontinence, but after a little research I’m on the fence. What are your thoughts.

Proin is a no-go. I gave my GSD 50mg of Proin in the morning and within a couple of hours she vomited and had what I can only describe as the canine equivelent of a panic attack. She was breathing heavily, drooling at the mouth, pacing in circles, nervous, and obviously very scared. She weighs 108lbs and the dosage for a dog her size is 100mg per day. My vet perscribed it in two daily doses of 50mg. Since Proin is a stimulant, the reaction makes complete sense to me now. I am sure it works for some dogs, but I won’t be using it again. Fortunately, she settled down within an hour and was fine again.

Actually proper dose for dog this size is 375 mg clavamox twice daily, so perhaps ask your vet about this. Given this antibiotic’s effect on digestive tract, I would recommend good probiotic during whole course of antibiotic and for one month after. Try the probiotic fast balance from 1800petmeds.

Dr. Dym: Thank you. I will order it today. I wish you were in my area. Also, given your expertise could you recommend a good VET (ENT) in SO. Cal. My dog wakes up in middle of night unable to breathe out of nose! Until I massage it with VICK’s Vapor and clear mucous comes out. His vet says it’s just Lupus. I think different. Thanks.

Thanks for your kind compliments. I would check my holistic vet mentor’s website for list of vets in your area that are trained in traditional as well as homeopathic medicine. Go to http://www.drpitcairn.com website for list of holistic vets. My website has more information http://www.doctordym.com Many holistic vets offer phone consultations.

My golden mix seems to have a lot of allergies. She is on a LID diet, but had redness around her eyes and paws. Recently she had developed “hot spot” looking places on her snout and under her eyes along with inflammation under her chin. I took her to the vet Friday and was told this doesn’t look like typical food allergies. She was put on Rilexine (cephalexin). She also is on Temeril P and I give Tramadol as needed along with a joint supplement and thyroid meds. Her bottom lip seems a little swollen today. What do you think could cause this and are all these medicines safe together?

Are there any issues with giving a 6 month old cat advantage multi topical only one day after my vet administered profender/ milbite octic solution/ rabies vaccination? He said the cat would be fine in a few hours but since he was very itchy and seemed like he wasn’t feeling well I decided to wait. Is 30 hours long enough?? He’s still excessively scratching and grooming.

I would wait one week to give him any further immune challenges with pesticides. Perhaps try oral chlorphenirimine at dose of 2 mg twice daily to see if it can help with itching. Too many chemicals, vaccinations, etc over a few days.

My 7 month old (55 pounds) puppy is on revolution since he had ear mites when we got him. He was having diarrhea so vet did fecal exam and found a tiny tapeworm egg. Gave me a dose of Iverhart Max for the tapeworm. Can I give him the Iverhart Max even though I just put the revolution on him last night? Vet says it’s okay, just want a second opinion.
Thank you!

My 7 month old (55 pounds) puppy is on revolution since he had ear mites when we got him. He was having diarrhea so vet did fecal exam and found a tiny tapeworm egg. Gave me a dose of Iverhart Max for the tapeworm along with metronidazole. Can I give him the Iverhart Max even though I just put the revolution on him last night? Vet says it’s okay, just want a second opinion.
Thank you!

I would be careful using topical or oral pesticides on dog with this sort of chronic disease. I would ask your local vet about this, as well as alternative natural flea control such as http://www.wondercide.com

My dog was on lysodren for cushings disease. He started to not want to eat and throw up so the doctor told us to give him 5mg of predisone. He was also getting 7mg of medicam daily. He went into Addison crisis because his cortisol was very low. He couldn’t keep anything in his stomach after the 3 – 4 days of giving the predisone and medicam together, could this drug interaction have damaged his stomach

My shitz Tzu has lung cancer and is starting restlessness which tells me she is in some discomfort my vet said I could give her a bit of tramadol (6 mg) that I have from recent surgery. I don’t know how much she can have. she is 14 lbs thank you

Hi! I’m hoping you can help answer a question about medicine interactions. I have a 12 yr old chihuahua with hip, back, and knee issues. He’s had X-rays and has been put on maintenance doses of prednisone and Tramadol for pain control. It has really helped. He also has a collapsing trachea (yet another xray) and coughs a lot. He has always had a cough from time to time but now it’s very frequent. We tried theophylline for a while and there was no improvement. We did a course of antibiotics in case it was bronchitis and another X-ray to rule out pneumonia. The coughing has continued and it seems to be worse at night, when he drinks, eats, and he’s sleeping on his side only. He’s started sneezing several times in a row, and this is the worst place and time of year for allergies. I need to know if he would have an interaction if I gave him benedryl with the prednisone and Tramadol? He only weighs 7lbs. Is there something better to try for the coughing and sneezing than theophylline or benedryl?

Hi Wendy. Benadryl may cause excessive sedation, especially if given at same time as tramadol. I dont think it will make much difference. Perhaps ask your vet about alternative cough medicine like prescription hydrocodone. Also I have found all natural homeopet cough drops quite helpful from 1800petmeds.

Hi; Because of a severe flea outbreak – after 3 weeks of doing everything humanly possible to help our two dogs we had to go to the big guns: Prednisone and Cephalexin (for the skin irritations they got from chewing whenever we pulled the cone off.
Our problem is the 11 month old Heeler/ Coon hound mix who now cannot hold her bladder and is peeing in the house. She is drinking and peeing like a racehorse. Our older girl at 7 years is able to hold it but pees literally for about 16 seconds. Very unusual. It’s the weekend and I’m wondering if I should take them off these meds for their allergic reactions (plus a terrible Frontline reaction in the heeler mix) as their skin looks great but this peeing is not normal.

My cocker spaniel is on Simplicef for a possible urinary tract infection, Gabapentin, Metacam and Cushex (homeopathic drug for Cushings disease), and the vet now prescribed Soloxine for low thyroid. Is it ok for my dog to take all of these medications and should I give them at different times of the day rather than giving him multiple doses at once?

I would not use combination homeopathic remedy for Cushings disease, especially at same time as all of these other meds. No specific drug interactions here, although metacam can occasionally cause digestive upset in Cushings patients.

OK, I have read about the controversies regarding the use of combination homeopathic remedies. However, Shadow is 15 years old and I will not put him on any of the medications for Cushings at his age. Cushex was the only thing that we have found that actually helps him with the symptoms of Cushings and he has done well on it for the past 3 years. So, I guess my question to you now is would it be better if we gave the Cushex separately at a different time of the day and not give it to him when he gets for example, gabapentin or Metacam? Thank you.

Dr. Michael Dym, VMD veterinarian Reply:October 8th, 2013 at 11:18 pm

Probably best Theresa to give cushex at different time of day from other drugs. Sounds like you are doing great job keeping Shadow comfortable. I dont have alot of experience with combination remedies and so cant comment specifically on its use. I personally use constitutional classical homeopathy in practice for my patients.

I am currently fostering a 4 year old Beagle who was rescued from a local shelter. She has heart worms and a BB gun pellet in her leg. She is currently going through heart worm treatment (already 30+ days into this), and will be looking at leg surgery shortly. She suffers terribly though with separation anxiety, and is so bonded to my husband that when he leaves the house she digs out of the yard, and whines in her crate. I have a one year old child to care for and cannot leash walk her outside several times per day, and the whining during the afternoon sometimes wakes my daughter up.
She is taking Tramadol 25mg (2xday) and Metacam 12 units (1xday). Can I give her Fluoxetine also to help calm her (I have tried rescue remedy with no success)?

My 7month female GSD was spayed and given 50mg of tramadol, the next day she was given 25mg of acepromazine due to her being spunky and the vet wanting her to be more sedated. She is very clumsy when walking on just the acepromazine should I still give her the tramadol or just wait until morning. Both meds are prescribed for twice daily. While Iwant to do what is best for her I don’t want her to be too “doped” up……
Concerned pet owner

Hello,
I have a flea medicine for cats, called TriForce (feline squeeze on), but I’ve read a few reviews, and it sounds like one of the main ingrediants, Etofenprox, is toxic to cats? In your experience is this a safe product for a cat?

Hello,
I have a flea medicine for cats, called TriForce (feline squeeze on), but I’ve read a few reviews, and it sounds like one of the main ingredients, Etofenprox, is toxic to cats? In your experience is this a safe product for a cat?

I have an elderly dog that takes rymadil daily for his pain. A mix of arthritis and boney growths on his spine.
But when his mommy and daddy leave for anything, he gets separation anxiety. Plus recently he tore up a ACL really badly, so we can’t even give him surgery since the he won’t have a good reaction to the surgery.
So can I give him low dose melatonin for when his mommy and daddy leave so he doesn’t get up and start pacing and maybe fall down the stairs? I’ve looked it up and it says it’s safe.
But I want to make sure. Thank you for your time.

Also she has frequent urination and thirst since she’s started these pills. She started them at the time. She is 12 1/2 yrs old. She has a mass on her belly that needs to be removed so she is in cephalexin until the surgery date.

Yes we did two weeks ago and her liver enzymes were slightly high so that’s why the vet suggested denamarin. She has a bloody tumor hanging off her belly we were going to have removed next Monday. So the vet want to have her in Denamrin so she was healthier for surgery and the cephalexin so it didn’t get infected. Wednesday I noticed under her skin swollen and looked like a mass and fluid. Dr did a fine needle aspiration of the second mass and that came back as benign. But Saturday she started with diarrhea and peeing in the house( which she never does) and throwing up twice after eating. I’ve been giving her rice. I woke up this morning to all three. My vet opens at 8 so I’m going to call them but I’m so worried about her.

I have a 100 lb English Labrador with Epilepsy. He is on Zonisimide 800 ml per day – I have these compounded locally into 200 ml capsules (so 2 morning & 2 at night) Also he takes Potasium Bromide liquid 6-ML with food (1X/day)this is compounded with beef flavor.
I am wondering if both of these can be obtained (With Perscription) from 800 PET-MEDS.

I have an 16 lb. doxie that has been diagnosed with GME. She is on 10mg Prednisone daily, which we give her in the morning. She does not sleep well at night and gets up 2-3 times almost every night. I have tried the pet calm with Chamomile and Tryptophan, but it does not work very well. Can I give my doxie prednisone in the a.m. and maybe 1.5mg ofmelatonin in the p.m.?

Our 7 year old sheltie has been on fluoxetine (30 mg per day) for approximately 5 years for aggression, anxiety, and excessive barking. Our vet started him on Iverhart Plus a couple of months ago. No side effects noticed yet, but we have been reading about possible interactions for herding dogs. Will this be a problem? Also is it possible that the fluoxetine is making his hyperactivity worse?

Hello. I give my dogs Claritin for allergies. I have noticed it helps with their sneezing. It is time for their heartworm prevention (I use Iverhart) and I was curious about an interaction between Ivermectin and Loratadine. For humans there is a site that brings up the following interaction:
loratadine will increase the level or effect of ivermectin by P-glycoprotein (MDR1) efflux transporter. Significant – Monitor Closely
Should I wait 24 hrs before and after giving the heartworm medication to resume the Claritin? Thank you

THis combination is ok, however must be VERY careful in dog with COPD with any pesticides topically or in collar. I personally dont have much experience with claritin, but you could try zyrtec at dose of one half mg per pound once daily.

I have an overweight Pug who becomes uncontrollable when trying to clip his toenails. Three groomers at Pet Smart, working together, could not clip his nails. I tried a benadryl, however all I had was a liquid capsule which I cut in half……consequently, I am not sure how much he actually ingested. Would it be acceptable to give him a 5 mg valium? It has been several hours since trying the benadryl, to no avail.

I had to recently put my dog down. I have two others. She was tested positive for leptospirosis. We still have no idea how she got it. She wasn’t and outside dog and she wasn’t a sniffer. So anyway we took the other two to the vet just incase. They did a physical exam and said they looked good and no need to have the lepto blood test. We will put them on clavamox just to be safe then sorry. Well I’ve been doing my research and not one place can I find clavamox for lepto. Everyone is saying doxycycline. I asked my vet and she said no. Does clavamox work? Should I make her give me doxy? And can they be mixed because they’ve been on the clavamox for three days now.

Either doxy or clavamox may treat lepto. I would also work on strengthening their immune system with a holistic vet, via diet, supplements, etc To learn more go to my website http://www.doctordym.com Many homeopathic vets do offer phone consultations.

My dog seems to have an increase in the ph of his urine. Is this always cause for medication or can a change in food help? My dog cannot have corn and soy for certain. I have also eliminated wheat from his diet. If a food change would be beneficial, do you know of a food that I could switch too? I currently use Wellness Healthy Weight, but since they changed a few ingredients a few months ago, we have been having digestive issues. I was going to try fish, but did not know if that would be beneficial or harmful in this situation.

I would change food to actually a home made diet alicia to help with this issue. My friend and long term colleague Loreen Playford can likely help you, as she is a nutritionist. To learn more about her and services go to http://www.k9petchef.com Tell her Dr Dym sent you.

Could there be a reaction if my dog is taking phenobarbital, metronidazole, and cerenia? He has taken the pheno for about a year to control seizures, and it works well. He just started this horrible retching, dry heaving last week with lethargy and loss of appetite. The vet did some bloodwork and prescribed the other two medications. He has been taking them for 3 days, and he is still retching, but not as often, and eating some canned food. But today he seems very wobbly and back to lethargic. Could it be medication interaction?

My 10# Schnauzer has ripped off his toenail on his hind leg while we are Travelling. Since my vet is not readily available, I am in a crisis as he is in a lot of pain due to the nerve exposure because the nail and quick is gone!! I’ve been giving him 3mg of children’s liquid Tylenol until we get to Yuma to see a vet. But he is. Los prescribed Acepromazine for anxiety while traveling long distance. Will theses 2 drugs interact? And do you have any suggestions for the toenail crisis?? Thank you sooooo much!!

I dont think there will be a problem with these meds together. Also consider the homeopathic remedy Hypericum in 30c potency from health food store. Give 1 pellot twice daily for 2 to 3 days to help with pain and likely promote healing.

I’m not sure about the Tylenol but would probably be okay. But, I work at a pet grooming place & deal with toenails daily. Just pour some peroxide on it, & then put Neosporin on it and wrap it with gauze & medical tape. Do this 3 times a day completely changing the bandages & it will heal in no time. In a few days leave the bandage off & just use peroxide because your dog will lick the Neosporin off his foot which could be poisonous.

My 2 year old pup has been sick for 5 days now, the vet kept him over night on intravenous Iv fluids. His lymph nodes are swollen, he has not been eating, is very weak and fatigued. He was running a fever at his follow up appointment 3 days later his fever subsided but his lymphs are still swollen, white blood cells were increased, chemistry labs were normal with only the calcium high, he has finally made a bowel movement this morning however it’s black and tarry (blood?). He is currently on baytril (5 a day), dyoxycline (2 a day) and capofren (1 a day).. I’m afraid that mixing all these medications is not good for him or make them not work! Please help! We were going to take him tomorrow to a different vet and make the decision to do a FNA or X-ray to rule out cancer.. Tomorrow will be day 7 he has been sick and I hate seeing him suffer with no improvements with the medications

Hi Jackie. Sounds like possible lymphoma, given swollen glands. A fine needle aspirate of lymph nodes should be one of first tests done, and can have results in a few minutes in the office. If lymphoma, then stronger drugs like prednisone and chemotherapy are the options. Also consider working with a holistic vet to improve overall health. To learn more see http://www.beyondflatearth.com as well as my website http://www.doctordym.com

Can I use Adams flea & tick spot on for dogs on my rough coat collies active ingredients are etoenprox 30.0%, (s)-methoprene 3.6%, piperonyl butoxide 5.0% other ingredients butyl carbityl, 6-propylpiperonyl ether, and related compounds, I was asking cause someone picked this up for me other than what I asked for

My dog has been on prednisone (and some antibiotics) for over a month for an unresolved ear infection. He just got diagnosed with hook worms, even though he takes Revolution each month. The vet suggested that the meds he’s on made the Revolution not work, I got online and started searching and am dismayed at the lack of information about drug interactions for pets. Is there any good online resource that tracks drug interactions for pets?

My cat is on Pepcid 2x a day and prednisolone every other day for IBD. The vet added cerenia for vomiting/nausea for occasional use (one quarter of a tablet once every couple of weeks as needed). If I’ve given cerenia after a vomiting episode, can I or should I still give the Pepcid a few hours later?

I am a Labrador Retriever breeder and have ten Labradors. I found a roundworm in my 7 year old stud dog’s stool. I would like to deworm everybody affordably. I have Noromectin (1% Ivermectin) I used last time at a dosage of 1 cc per 60 pounds. Can I give this to my two pregnant bitches and can I give this to my 9 1/2 year old male who is on Novox (generic Rimadyl) and human Glucosamine/Condroitin twice daily? Thank you!!!

i have a 9 yr old male maltese who recently had surgery for an epiglottic retroversion. he had to have a trach placed so they could access the site. ever since he has been having trouble breathing, they say the wheezing is coming from his neck, his lungs are clear. he is currently on clavamox but was wheezing with the amoxicillin also. seems he struggles to breath more while resting. they say he is healing (inside), as the trach site on the outside is healed (3 weeks post surgery). this is not getting better and he is exhausted from not breathing right. he also takes .25 prednisone QOD and synthroid daily. any advice? thank you.

This is a tough one to offer specific advice on a forum like this, without seeing the animal. I would recommend you make an appointment with a veterinary specialist in internal medicine, Please ask your local vet for a referral to one in your area.

Can I give my 10 yr old Dachshund Glucosamine and Soloxine without side effects . He’s been on soloxine for thyroid for two years now and but recently he’s limping a little so thought he may have arthritis and wanted to add glucosamine to his food.

I have a 6lb Chihuagua that has rhinitis and before the vet ruled on rhinitis he gave her Temaril P Tablets which have done nothing for her allergies…she has two more doses left, but my dog is miserable. I tried benadryl before she was taking the Temeril P and it worked perfectly but she was sleeping all the time…The Vet did recommend Zyrtec when she finished her Temeril, but she’s miserable right now with congestion…is there something I can give her for the congestion that will not interact with the Temeril?
Thanks in advance…

Temaril p is an excellent medication for coughing, however we have to be VERY careful if your pet truly has chronic mitral valve disease, as sometimes the low dose cortisone can cause retention of salt and water potentially worsening heart issues. I would ask your vet about alternative cough medicine first, such as hydrocodone.

Hello Dr. Dym
My dog has IMHA and also she was positive for mycoplasma, so she is on prednizone, azathioprine, doxycycline and I also give her algae which is helping to increase her CBC. The problem is that chemistry test is showing that she is starting having problems with liver, but her vet told me that her heart is getting really bad and to put her on vetmedin ASAP and on top of it give her enalapril for blood pressure, my question is, would adding Vetmed and enalapril cause more damage to liver, and interaction with other meds will be safe?
I have holistic supplement for vascular function which contains taurine, magnesium, potassium etc. which was helping her a lot before, but then I stopped because she was having other medical problems, so I am wondering if I better of start that again instead of vetmedin and enalapril. Please let me know what would you suggest. Thanks

Hi Albina. Since I dont have access to the medical records and/ro have not examined your dog, hard for me to tell you whether vetmedin or enalopril essential or even necessary here, whose use is dependent not just on presence of a heart murmur or large heart on x rays, but on actual clinical signs of heart issue like cough, etc . Perhaps an echocardiogram would be helpful. I dont think vetmedin and enalopril harmful to liver. The holistic supplement sounds ok. May be worthwhile consulting with holistic vet as well, who can help support diet as well as suggest nutritional supplements, based on clinical history and records. Many homeopathic/holistic vets do offer phone consultations. To learn more go to http://www.doctordym.com

My mum’s little dog who is 16 pounds is on phenobarbital and I would like to add Mary’s Thistle to help his liver. He isn’t on any other medication and is otherwise healthy. What dose could I give to him? Also, could I give it just after his phenobarbital.

Ih SAndra. No problem in giving milk thistle with phenobarbitol. I would use dose anywhere between 50 and 100 mg once to twice daily. Denamarin is excellent supplement containing milk thistle and SAMe from 1800petmeds.

I dont have much experience using phycox for back problems so I really cant give you accurate, objective opinion. However I would ask your vet about multimodal pain/anti inflammatory meds for back such as prednisone/OR nonsteroidal anti inflammatory medicine, as well as pain drugs like gabapentin and tramadol, which many veterinary neurologists use and prescribe.

I know~ Unfortunately she has the autoimmune disease pemphigus foliaceus so we’re trying to get the triamcinolone eliminated and just use the atopica but that’s proving to be harder than we hoped~~thus the stomach ulcers from the steroid AND atopica

HI Katy. Also consider working with a holistic trained vet on improving diet, using nutritional supplements, as well as considering modality like classical homeopathy To learn more go to http://www.beyondflatearth.com as well as my website http://www.doctordym.com Many homeopathic vets do offer phone consultations like I do nationwide

I’ve been doing some online research and found that prilosec may have an effect on the absorption of cyclosporine? Since she’s taking the cyclosporine at night, can i safely give the prilosec in the morning?

My former vet gave my 9 lb 5 year old Maltese Temaril P for about four months, for what she considered an allergic rash on her back and bottom. 10 days ago I changed vets and the new vet immediately scraped one of the scabs, looked at it under the microscope and found it to be a fungal infection which she is treating and which is almost gone already. However, she found my dog had a terribly distended abdomen/stomach and x-rays show she has a much enlarged spleen. In a couple of day my dog is having a total base-line work up, including bloods etc, as required by her new vet……so I trust we will know more after this.

I have a 33lb Llewellyn Setter.
She has Psycho Motor Seizures.
She takes 1.5 pills of Phenobarbital twice a day.
She has also been taking Denamarin for a month
And will be on it for another 30 days.
we will test her blood then.
She has proin also. I feel like her phenobarbital is not
working as well.
Can any of the above drugs have interaction with phenbarbital?

I have a 33lb Llewellyn Setter.
She has Psycho Motor Seizures.
She takes pills of Phenobarbital twice a day.
She has also been taking Denamarin for a month
And will be on it for another 30 days.
we will test her blood then.
She has proin also. I feel like her phenobarbital is not
working as well.
Can any of the above drugs have interaction with phenbarbital?

I would have pheno drug levels tested. Perhaps increasing dose is needed and/or adding additional seizure meds like keppra, or potassium bromide. I dont think the drugs you are asking about interact. Keep up with the Denamarin. Also consider antioxidant proanthozone from 1800petmeds.

Hi ! My cat was just diagnosed with a urinary tract infection this afternoon. She has taken one dose of antiobiotics so far. She is going to the litter box constantly, and licking/itching her privates constantly. Is it safe to give her a small dose of benedryl to ease her itching and calm her down some? The vet also gave her Mirtzapine (appetite stimulant) since she hasn’t been eating much. Thanks!!

I just gave my dog a 25mg dose of Rimadyl due to a bad flare-up with back pain. I completely forgot my son gave also gave my dog a dose of Temaril-P this morning (we just started it a couple of days ago). Right now, I’m very concerned this could be a bad mix of medications for my little guy. Thank you for your help.

karen – my 9 year old maltese was dx with CHF a week ago and was put on those same meds. how do you know she has heartburn, what should i look for? and if i may ask, how long has she been on that drug therapy? thanks so much. i am hopeful but this is so scary to me!
teri

Hello Terri, So sorry I didn’t reply sooner – I only saw your message now.
Our poodle Truffles has been on enalpril and furosemide for a couple of years and vetmedine for about six months. We can tell when she has indigestion because she actually burps. We think her indigestion is bad right now because of her antibiotic. We think also if she keeps licking her lips or chewing her gums that may be an indication but that is just our guess. Our dog has a sensitive stomach. We think her anti biotic shot convenia gave her severe heartburn and she still is recovering from it. Let me know if I can be of more help. Sincerely, Karen

Also – feel free to reply any time. It was scary at first learning our dog has CHF. However the vetmedin being added to her regimen has helped and her heart murmur/the enlargement of her heart hasn’t changed at her 5 month check up. You are doing all the right things, Karen

Dr. Michael Dym, VMD veterinarian Reply:February 7th, 2014 at 6:54 pm

Consider trying probiotics like fast balance and enzymes like naturevet enzymes added to meals from 1800petmeds to see if can help

teri Reply:March 25th, 2014 at 6:56 pm

hi karen. frankie is doing okay, but i wondered if you could help me with some things. he was dx with CHF jan 27th and is still on all those same meds. when he first came home from the hospital he was l.5 pounds lighter from them getting rid of the fluid. prior to that visit and now he seems fuller and kind of grunts when i pick him up. respirations are great, but he seems sluggish alot. he also gets kind of “slurpy” with his tongue and nose and i dont know if that could be his tummy upset or what. the specialist doesnt really have answers, but i thought i would ask you since you have a same size dog that has the same dx. thanks for your help. i appreciate your time and hope your dog is doing well.

Dr. Michael Dym, VMD veterinarian Reply:March 27th, 2014 at 10:27 pm

Hi Teri. I did not see first part of your email, but cornerstone of treating CHF in dogs typically involves drugs like vetmedin, diuretics like furosemide, and in later stages spironolactone, as well as ACE inhibiters like enalopril or benazopril. I also like to use supplements on these pets like Coenzyme Q 10 as well as hawthorne herb.

teri Reply:March 25th, 2014 at 7:00 pm

also, what mg. of each is she taking? you can feel free to contact my email directly if you want.

My Australian shepherd is on carprofen and robaxin for a possible pinched nerve. Is it okay to give her heartworm medication while on these medications – she is on Sentinel. Thank you so much – it’s hard to find answers to interactions online.

My Australian shepherd is on carprofen and robaxin for a possible pinched nerve. Is it okay to give her heartworm medication while on these medications – she takes Sentinel. Thank you so much – it’s hard to find answers to interactions online.

Hello,
Ever since my dog got a shot of Convenia, she doesn’t want to eat or even open her mouth. It has been almost 2 weeks; I’ve tried to hand feed her with blended food, took her to 2 vet specialists, but no one can conclude why she’s not wanting to open her jaw other than possible tooth problem. Could Covenia cause jaw problems? Thank you.

Although very rare, antibiotic injections that last 2 weeks can on occasion cause immune mediated reactions, including inflammation of the muscles and/or nerves of the face, i.e known as polymyositis, and/or polyneuropathy. I would think immunosuppressive doses of prednisone type meds would be drugs of choice, however I would also strongly consider a homeopathic approach as well to raise his level of health. To learn more about homeopathy, go to http://www.beyondflatearth.com as well as my website http://www.doctordym.com Many homeopathic vets like myself do offer phone consultations.

Hi Dr. Dym,
Thank you so much for starting a discussion on this topic. I am relieved to have found a site where I can ask a question to an actual doctor. 
I have a semi-domesticated field cat. We have had him for 4-5 years now, but we have no idea how old he is. My cat was in one of his normal fights earlier this week (Sunday). This time around, he wounded his front right paw/leg. It was swollen and there were not any visible open wounds. I know it is not smart to treat an animal yourself. We don’t with our others. It is just literally impossible to get him to the vet. So we did our normal routine of 3-5mg of Prednisone (only once a day) Sunday night and Monday night. Tuesday morning it was not getting better, so we decided to not give him any Prednisone that night so that we could give him some aspirin the next night because he seemed to be in a tremendous amount of pain. Gave him about half of a baby aspirin Wednesday night. Also, we decided that we were going to have to finally take him to the vet. We tried both Thursday and Friday morning to get him there, but there was honestly no way. Last night, an open wound did appear on the top of his paw. We have treated that with Hydrogen Peroxide (with use of a spray bottle) and spray Neosporin.
I was wondering can we start him back on the Prednisone? The last dose of any medication was the baby aspirin Wednesday night. Also, can we give him any ClindaCure (clindamycin hydrochloride liquid) for the open wound?
Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Katie…I would stay away from prednisone in this type of situation, as sounds like some sort of wound/infection/abcess, in which case dont want to use cortisone like drugs. Also with aspirin, have to be very careful with that as well in cats as cats are very sensitive to aspirin so I would avoid it. Clindamycin may be good idea orally as an oral antibiotic , but best to have vet check if possible to assess foot. Soaking foot in warm water may help with drainage. You could try the natural supplement traumeel from 1800petmeds to help with pain/inflammation, as well as topical traumeel to foot

Thank you so much! I can’t even put into words how grateful I am for your help. After what you advised, I am going to start him on the Clindamycin as soon as he is finished eating and get some traumeel. Since I do live in the country, I found a vet that will actually make house calls in my area so fingers crossed that he doesn’t charge an arm & leg. Once again, thank you so much!!

Hello. My 15 yo German shepherd has atypical cushings (treating with melatonin) as well as sd and osteoarthritis. She takes gabapentin and tramadol and supplements but is there something else out there for pain? She does get acupuncture bt the results do not last. Many thanks.

My dog is a mixed breed, dashund, beagle mix. He is on 50mg of tramadol, 25 mg in the morning and 25mg in the evening. He has everything wrong with him. The last time I took him to the vet they gave me diazepam 5mg. Can I mix these two meds? He has a mass on his spleen, tumors on him, Kidney stones, his heart is enlarged and has fluid around it, and his last blood test showed liver damage.

If your vet prescribed the meds, I would follow his or her instructions. Perhaps consider working with a holistic vet on trying to improve his overall health To learn more go to http://www.doctordym.com

My vet put my 12 yr old American Pittbull on Temeral-P, Meloxicam 7.5, Tramadol 50 and Cephelexin 500 for bumps that turned into scabs on her chest, sides, ears and paws. Right after starting these meds she became lame in her back foot not wanting to put any weight on it. She carries the foot up very high at times. She also seems to have an overgrowth of her pads on all feet and sides of her nose, pads having a yellowish tint to them. I di notice she has several pink raised wart or skin tag looking spots the size of a pencil eraser on various areas of her body. She is a big water drinker and has been barely touching it lately although has a ravenous appetite. Can you please help me me help my dog, she is all I have!

Thank you for answering so quickly! I will make an appointment for Pipper ASAP. Do you think it is safe for me to be giving her the Temaril-P, which to my understanding is Prednisone, Meloxicam and Tramadol together? That makes me a little nervous after reading some of the posts, I certainly don’t want to make my dog worse instead of better! Tramadol 50 mg 2 b.i.d., Temaril
3 q other day and Meloxicam 7.5 1/2 qd.

I have a 77#, 9 year old golden retriever who is on pheno for seizures and thyroxin for thyroid issues. He hasn’t had a seizure for a while, and his skin issues have been so much better with the thyroxin. However, I just took him to the vet for a large hot spot between his ears, and the vet gave him Rilexine 600mg/2x daily. He also had an injection at the office (may have been prednizone, but I can’t locate my paperwork at this moment.) The vet also put a typical ointment on his hot spot. He had a small seizure tonight. Could this have been an interaction with any of these drugs?

After reading some of the Q/As here, I realize there may be a reason to be careful of vaccinations for my dog?

Is it o.k. to give rimadyl (75 mg.) , zeniquin (25 mg.) and hydroxyzine (10 mg.) together?
Our 14 yr. old cockapoo (18lbs.) was diagnosed with a nasal tumor, and has nasal congestion and bloody discharge from her nose. Also, we had been giving her benadryl prior to this diagnosis. Should we also continue the benadryl? She struggles to breathe through her nose more at night, but it is also getting worse during the day.

Doctor,
My chow mix has always been a nervous boy with bad hips. He has been on reconcile before but he is not on it now. For the last two years I have had him on the lowest possible dose of rimadyl for him to be comfortable with his hips. Recently, the vet has put him on trifexis instead of frontline plus. With this long winter and very little outside exercise, he has been crawling out of his skin and gets so worked up nervous wise that he pants and licks almost constantly. When this happens he vomits and gets bloody diarehea. It’s hemoraghic something or other. Well, I’d like to put him back on reconcile to help his nerves – the vet has said that it will be ok to. Can you confirm there will not be a problem drug interaction-wise with him being on reconcile, rimadyl, and trifexis? Thank you!!!

My 13 yr. old cat was recently given depo medrol (needlessly) and ended up with heart enlargement and fluid in his lungs. As a result, he was prescribed lasix, enalapril and Plavix but I can only manage to give him the lasix and some of the enalapril. The Plavix has such a vile chemical odor that he won’t come near it. I had read that a baby aspirin every 72 hours could be used instead of Plavix (I also read that it should not be coated aspirin), and that doses as low as 5 to 20.5 mg. aspirin worked just as well. Either way, my vet is insisting on Plavix. Can you offer any insight ? Also, after 6 days on lasix, his respiration rate is normal. X-rays taken before starting the medication showed an enlarged heart, a problem with the blood vessels at the bottom of the heart on both sides, and fluid in the lungs, but now the heart is normal sized, sits properly, blood vessels on the left side are normal, the ones on the right side are improved quite a bit, and the lungs are clear. Is it possible for things to resolve so that I won’t be medicating him for the rest of his life.

It is possible for things go slowly resolve, if triggered by cortisone shot. Only a vet cardiologist is qualified to tell you that, and only after a thorough echocardiogram is done to look at the structures of the heart. As for plavix, for YEARS I used low dose aspirin every 3 days without a problem, and my career spans 23 plus years. Perhaps consider second opinion, from different vet who may support aspirin use in lieu of plavix.

my almost 10 year old chihuahua has been kinda slow to go down the steps lately and last night he started favoring his back hips…like slow to lay down and get up…and he’s been pacing a bit before finally laying down..and really doesn’t want anyone around him or to pick him up when we have to bring him outside….thinking it might be arthritis….I bought him some joint health support today..but was wondering if I could give him anything else over the counter to help with the pain he’s in?..or if I should be more concerned?…because he’s really just laying there hasn’t even eaten much today..he’s also on phenobarb

I Would have vet exam and evaluation in pet this age to see if arthritis and/or other senior diseases may be present in dog this age. I would try natural remedies like yucca intensive and proanthozone from 1800petmeds. Dog gone pain is another good one you can find on line, but I would certainly recommend a vet check.

Hi I have a 4 year old Doxie who has recently been prescibed Metacam once a day for back pain. I took him to the vet because I suspected an ear infection and our vet gave him Primor 240mg for 10 days. Are these drugs ok together? He weighs 20 pounds. Thank you very much for your reply and God bless.

Hi Jennifer. There should be no problem with these drugs, although always best to have liver/kidney blood work done first before going on drugs like these just to make sure no underlying pre existing issues.

I hope you can help. My dog recently got a carpal sprain. The vet did blood work to check her liver/kidney functions as well as her sugar and protein levels. Everything was good. I ended going to an orthopedic specialist for a 2nd opinion. He agreed about the sprain. He said to continue the previcox but now has added Gabapentin. I gave her the first dose of the Gabapentin yesterday, now this morning it seems as if she may have a UTI (she had a few in the past and acted the same way, wants to go out every little while and just pee’s a little bit). I’m calling the vet as soon as they open but I’m very concerned about these medications. Do you have any suggestions? I’m so worried. Thank you so much!

can anything natural take the place of lasix, theophylline and ciprofloxin for a large dog with cancer in the lungs and breathing problems from that. our dog Sam was yesterday diagnosed with cancer nodules in the lungs and extra fluid (and possibly cander on ribs as well?) She was having very labored breathing and is now breathing better but very lethargic after on day on meds described above. She wont make the effort to drink water and when presented sometimes will and sometimes won’t. She hasn’t wanted to eat anything at all since yesterday. I want to know if there is anyway to keep her comfortable and breathing and hopefully eating and help with the extra fluid on her lungs without all those harsh meds??? Thanks for advice.

Hi Bobbi. Always need close monitoring when on the combination of theophylline and cipro, as sometimes elevated theophylline blood levels are seen with this combination. As for other options, I would recommend consulting with a holistic veterinarian in your area. To learn more and to find a homeopathic vet in your area go to http://www.drpitcairn.com

Thanks, you help is appreciated. I quit giving her the meds last night, all three and so far she is feeling and acting so much better. Have not seen any more breathing difficulties, but will monitor her closely and look to see if there is a holistic vet near here. I don’t know where this will go but while giving the meds she simply had no quality of life. Interestingly enough, most humans put up with ingesting this kind of chemicals and medicines all the time and putting up with the side effects and wondering why they are still so sick.

My 7 pound 13 month old Yorkshire Terrier name Lucy was spayed about 4 days ago. Less than 24 hours post surgery she began having diarrhea & vomiting & refused to eat or drink so I calked my Vet. Upon exam the Vet stated she was slightly dehydrated so they injected a subcutaneous hydration pack under her skin as well as a shot for her nausea. She was also prescribed Centrine (1/2 tablet) every 12 hours until stool reformed, which it has after only 1 round of the Centrine. In addition the Vet. put her on Baytril 22.1 mg. 1 X/day because she was suspected of having a Urinary Tract Infection. Since the return visit she has improved tremendously & is now eating chicken & rice as well as drinking appropriately.

Now that I’ve given you her short term health history, my question is this: Lucy has started licking me excessively. Licking my hands, fingers, arms, neck, etc. last night I awoke many times to her lying beside my licking my arms & hands nonstop… Could this be a side effect of any of the drugs she was given or is still taking? Should I be concerned about this behavior being a sign of some other health issue? I realize it’s only licking but it’s out of character for her & quite annoying as well. While she has always been a \llicker\ & loves to give kisses when she’s excited or first seeing you she has never just sat & licked me non-stop or as much as I will letter her lick me like this!

Hi Terri. Conventional/traditional medicine really does not have answer or reason for this common clinical complaint of of animal guardians, except to call it some type of obsessive/compulsive disorder, and not due to any of the drugs. I have seen this licking behavior sometimes come up within a few weeks or months of a rabies vaccination, so curious when that last shot was. If sign persists or worsens, then may be worthwhile consulting with a homeopathic veterinarian. To learn more about homeopathy, go to http://www.beyondflatearth.com as well as my website http://www.doctordym.com Many homeopathic vets do offer phone consultations.

Thank you for the answer to my question although as you say it’s very strange as it literally started overnight & exactly after receiving the medications I mentioned in my email. The day before she was not doing any of this licking behavior.

I believe her a Rabies shot was in November of 2013, so it’s been about 4 1/2 to 5 months. Does that fit within any timelines of people reporting this sudden licking behavior? If she doesn’t stop the licking then I will contact a homeopathic Vet. for assistance as I don’t want to let this continue so much that she develops it into a habit.

HI Terri. Yes I do see in the coming months post rabies vaccination these types of compulsive behaviors. Sometimes what the drugs do is suppress the body’s life force or immune system, allowing these hidden underling tendencies to come out, but are not direct cause/effect. I think homeopathic consultations would be wonderful. Many like myself consult with clients nationwide over the phone, but I would learn more about the chronic process first before scheduling a consultation with any homeopathic vet. Also make sure homeopathic vet is following normal standards of care like I do, as a lot of homeopaths out there not doing service to clients. The guidelines I follow are gone over on http://www.drpitcairn.com My website tells you more about my practice, as I was trained by Dr Pitcairn http://www.doctordym.com

hi i have a senior male english springer who is on proin. one of his feet has recently gotten irritated near an old sore. i think it may be allergy related as the world has just greened up here and the grass has started growing again. i was thinking of giving him benadryl, but am not sure of the interaction with the proin.

Hi there, I adopted a dog in December and knew she was “light positive” for heart worms. She was placed on heart guard starting in July of 2013. She was taken to the vet and he didn’t believe light positive results existed. Short story they ran blood work on two brands of the rapid test and one was a barely distinguishable line and the other strong positive. I am refusing to do arsenic based injections. My rescue shelter, foster mom, and many others have had success using a modified slow kill. Ivermectin 1x per week 0.33cc and antibiotics cycles. On one month, off 2, on 1,off 2, etc for at least 6 months. Doxycline is no longer free and they wanted $450 for 90 pills. That’s outrageous. The foster mom, whom I trust very much, said you can use cephalexin. I know a vet can’t tell me to do slow kill. But ive heard successful stories. Dogs heartworm free in 6 mos to a year. She is a 32 lb beagle/ridgeback. She is 22 mos old. Thank you.

You could look into natural heartworm preventative and therapies such as black walnut or quassia bark from http://www.fiestapetdeli.com Also you should see book Vital Dogs don’t get heartworm by Will Falconer, DVM which you can get on line for more tips. Slow kill with monthly heartworm is option, but most cardiologists feel that young dogs this age should be treated with injectable arsenic adulticides. I am not familiar with slow kill you ask about, as well as cephalexin is not adequate in heartworm positive dogs as it does not kill the accompanying Wobachia parasite as does doxycycline

My 12 yr old mixed lab has a tumor in the bladder. She is taking piroxicam 5 mg daily for the last 5 months. In the last 4 – 6 wks Her stools have become yellowish and more watery than normal.
Could this be a reaction to the meds. Initially she was also taking a pepcid ac daily but didn’t seem to have any problem with the piroxicam so I took her off the pepcid per the vets instructions after a month on the meds. The meds are quite costly since they have to purchased from a compounding pharmacy. I was wondering if there was a generic of some type.

I have a 7 yr old Shar Pei that weighs 61 Lbs. He is currently on Phenobarbital for seizures and lately has begun peeing in the house at night. The dog door is opened all evening until we go to bed. We reading a bit about Proin. Would this possibly help and can it be taken with the Phenobarbital? Thanks!

Our recently adopted Husky is having hard time with allergies. He also takes low dose Xanax and Prozac for severe separation anxiety. Would it be okay to add beadryl to help him with his itching? He shows no sedation from his other meds but, we don’t want him to be hurt if we added anything else.

Our recently adopted Husky is having hard time with allergies. He also takes low dose Xanax and Prozac for severe separation anxiety. Would it be okay to add bendryl to help him with his itching? He shows no sedation from his other meds but, we don’t want him to be hurt if we added anything else.

I have a 14 yr old greyhound on meclizine hyrdochloride to help with equilibrium issues. She is now having difficulty getting up and and laying down (looks like she is uncomfortable). I’d like to see if an NSAID will help. Can I give Previcox?

Hi, I have a 16 lb shih tzu who has been on 5 mg of Prozac for a year for anxiety. When his anxiety level gets too high, we also have a prescription for him for .25-.5 alprazolam. He was recently put on daily denamarin for elevated liver levels. He was rechecked after 5 days and his blood work improved immensely! My vet said we could increase his Prozac (fluoxetine) to 10 mg if needed due to a sudden increase in anxiety. Seems like this happens in early spring which seems odd. He’s afraid of storms and loud sudden noises but we haven’t had either recently. Happy as a clam during the winter and even decreased his Prozac for the fall/winter season. Are these meds safe together and is 10mg a safe amount for his weight? I’m hoping to cut out the alprazolam ASAP . Thanks for your time! Lisa

I don’t think the higher dose of prozac will be a problem with the alprazolam Strange how you saw sudden increase in anxiety. Curious if dog received any recent vaccinations, especially rabies vaccination, which I have seen sometimes cause abrupt increase in anxiety, etc in sensitive dogs. As for other options, consider natural amino acid like L-theonine at dose of 100-200 mg twice daily which is wonderful natural anti anxiety supplement for both people and animals. Also can consider flower essence called Be serene from 1800petmeds which also may help. Consider working with a homeopathic vet. To learn more about homeopathy, see ww.doctordym.com Many homeopathic vets do offer phone consultations.

One week ago I adopted a 6-year-old German Short-Hared Pointer from no-kill shelter. He is being given Clavamox 250 mg bid and Albon 250 mg 2.5 tabs bid. He seems to have rather soft stools and he has the “heaves.” Some are productive (with a white substance) while most are non-productive. Would giving him famotidine or famotidine AC have ANY potential for drud-drug interactions? Appreciatively,
Dave

No problem in humans with kennel cough from dogs. Kennel cough usually resolves on its own or with antibiotics over 10-14 days.

Dave W Reply:April 26th, 2014 at 6:27 pm

I did wish to place a ‘period’ at the end of this string. My precious, adopted, 6-year-old German Short-haired Pointer, who I had for only a scant 7 days, spent the subsequent 6 days in a vet’s care and then in an imoressive Veterinary Hospital

“Cooking Dough’ was euthanized today as a result of overwhelming bilateral pneumonia, pleural effusion, kennel cough, and extreme dehydration. I am devastated, though I am certain that I chose what was best for this precious pup.
In my humble opinion, may I offer to you that ‘Quality of Life’ exceeds the numbers of years that someone lives.

To those out there reading this string, I implore you to choose a ‘reputable’ vet after an adoption to be sure that he/she is given the complete ‘once-over’. Quite clearly, the vet (in an office of 8 vets) that saw my baby is overwhelmingly incompetent to be seeing animals of any species.

Please read on, as I wish to provide you with a complete, balanced story of my experience. Eight years ago, we brought our 12-year-old beagle to the vet for what appeared to be a rather small skin issue. The incompetent vet that I am referring to Dx’d the problem as a rather insignificant, bacterial skin infection. In fact, it was a metastatic cancer that was manifesting itself on his skin. In all fairness, my little beagle boy would probably have succumbed to the cancer no matter the Dx of the skin issue.

Now, a mere 8 years later, although I thought ‘Cookie Dough’ was going to be seen by the owner of the vet hospital, it was she who performed the most cursory of examinations. I take full responsibility for not insisting on other tests to be run. She did not draw any blood. All that was tested was the stool sample I had brought to the appointment. She performed a limb range-of-motion exam, an auscultation, and looked at his teeth. From the sample, it was discovered that C.D. had coccidia, and we were sent home with Albon.

The very next day, with C.D. showing signs of severe distress, I called that vet hospital’s emergency phone number. Guess who was on the other end of the phone? Yes, it was her! With her TV blaring in the background, she clearly delivered a bull-stool response. In fact, she was clearly pissed off that I had contacted this very Web site in order to do my own research.

Now, I find it 100% impossible to believe that over an 8-year span, my 2 dogs were the ONLY 2 animals to have been ‘mal-diagnosed’ by this vet. IMPOSSIBLE statistically soeaking!

Therefore, I’ve completed and mailed a form, provided by my state’s Department od State, to have her vet license revoked, or at a minimum not to allow this vet to care for live animals as we go forward.

Lastly, what does it tell you that when I placed a matter-of-fact, friendly call to advise this vet’s office manager of C.D.’s condition, that she plainly and politely said she couldn’t say anything on the advice of counsel and their insurance carrier. Does this suggest to anyone that even their own practice believes she has done wrong? Or, are the simply taking precautionary measure?

In my eyes, this is a no-brainer.

Please feel free to share with me any thoughts you (anyone) may have. But please make the discourse civil. Please.

I have my 11 lbs pom on phenobarbital and now she is having congestive heart failure and my vet put her on vetmeden and enalapril in the past we tried to change her phenobarb for another seizure medication and she had a reaction to it dropping her platelets dangeruosly low..now with the above medications I see brusing on her stomach. would this be a reaction to the drugs? could they be dropping her platelets low again?

Michelle, I am sorry for interruption, but those red spots on the stomach is AIHA, immune problem. Go to Facebook and type Optimum Choices https://www.facebook.com/FreedomFromIllness or http://www.optimumchoices.com/
I saved my dog she had red spots on her stomach, I took her to vet, she had low blood count, prednisone and azathioprine were not helping, just read what people write on Facebook about bio preparation F3+. Also ask your vet to do blood test for mycoplasma, tick test, that could be the reason then they will most likely prescribe doxycycline antibiotic. But the only thing can help is algae by optimum choices, they have like 100 testimonies on Facebook, don’t waste your time

My 65-lb black lab has copper retention in her liver and has been treated for this since July 2013 with very good results. Am concerned about giving her Trifexis….She takes Penicillamine, Vitamins E, Sam-E, Milk Thistle, and B-6. Any problems mixing these? Thank you.

Hi, my dog was given Temaril-P Monday, and his cough has changed but is still quite strong. Prior to this drug the vet had him on a breathing dilator, but it made him sound like there was a muffler in his throat.
Therefore, I asked the doctor if she had any other ideas (he’s been diagnosed with bronchitis). Therefore, she gave me the Temaril-P twice a day, but his cough is still very bad.
Would it be ok for me to give him some cough medicine to help with the cough. I have some creamulsions (sp) for adults.
His vet is off today and can’t be reached…
He is a Jack Russell 8 years old and 38lbs. (I know he’s over-weight) oh and he’s had heart worms, but they are all gone.
The vet also said his heart is a bit enlarged most likely due to him being over-weight.
Can you give me any advice to help his cough, it is scaring me to death.
Thanks in advance for your help,

Hi Dr. Dym,
Thanks so much for your help, and I will try the cough medicine. His cough has gotten better, but he does still have strong coughs at times.
He’s been reduced to one tablet a day now, and the vet told me to try and finish this med before trying to bring him bank in.
Thanks again for your advice,
Ron

I have 2 shar pei that have been prescribed Antirobe for skin issues and I am wanting to give Advantage II for their monthly flea application. Are there any interractions with the two of these meds? I am so leary about flea medications.

Is it ok to give a 50lb dog with hives and swelling prednisone and benadryl at the same time? We found her with hives and itching last night and gave her one 25mg benadryl. Vet said to give her 20mg of prednisone at 10am this morning, now it’s 10pm and the hives are back. do we do another 15mg of prednisone? Can we give her a benadryl too?

Is it okay for my Chihuahua Minpin mix to take Zeniquin, Medrol and Fluconazole at the same time? She has severe allergies and we have trying to clear it up. This is the most recent mix of prescriptions. She has been taking the Zeniquin and Medrol for two weeks with no problems, I am just concerned about adding another medicine to the mix. She is also using a Chlorhexidine Climbazole mousse 1x daily on the irritated area. I have been unable to find any information about interactions online.

vet said my dog has AFIB ..
MY DOG IS ON GIDOXIN and diltiazem along with lasix. i feel asleep one night and forgot to give him his night time does. i always been waking up checking on him sense he has been on the meds, i have notice he was feeling better every time i woke up he seems to be feeling better. u think maybe the digox and diltiazem is to strong. while taking these meds he seem to be going down hill more and more each day…

I would recommend consulting with a veterinary cardiologist in your area, who can help guide drug therapy for AFIB. These drugs are appropriate, but now a days, digoxin is not used much anymore by many, as safer alternatives, including dlitiazem, and others, as well as Vetmedin, beta blockers, etc

I’m surprised that drug interactions are never discussed when medications are given to our pets. It’s frustrating to the client that finds themselves with questions on a Saturday morning.

My little dog recently had surgery on both of her knees, and I’m trying to find out if there will be any negative interactions with Tramadol and Iverhart Max. Half of her body is now shaved, and in Florida, mosquitoes are always an issue anyway.

As I sit here looking at the box, I also noticed that she was given 12.1-25 lbs, and she currently (last Tuesday) weighed exactly 11.0 lbs at the surgeon’s office. Can I break these tablets in half, or is the medication not evenly distributed throughout?

Stick with the higher dose of iverhart, which is very safe. Tramadol and iverhart no problem in my experience. Also consider working with holistic vet on improving health. To learn more about holistic medicine, go to my website http://www.doctordym.com Many homeopathic vets do offer phone consultations.

I have a 14 year old lab who has bad hips. It is ok to give her Tramadol and Phycox HA together. Our vet just switched her off of Medacam and told us to try phycox HA. She seems to be very agitated since then and can’t settle down.

My almost 14.5 yr old 44 lb dog has been on Rimadyl for the last year and a half. I’d been using Pepcid (10 mg 2X a day), but I was worried about digestion issues as she’d sometimes have very loose stools. Think it might have been something else, but now that I’m ready to start up again with a stomach protectant am wondering which is better: Famotidine, Omeprazole or Sucralfate?
Thanx

Is it safe to use Gentocin and Benedryl combined? Due to my Chow’s allergies, he’s developed ear infections. The vet prescribed Gentocin ear drops (four drops in each ear twice a day for 7 days). I’m trying to combat the allergies without the use of steroids. Although the shots work great, they only last for 3 weeks. The lower dose Temaril pills work only when he’s taking the 2 a day for the first 3 days……as soon as I cut the dosage back to 1 pill a day, he starts itching again.We wash down his feet after walks and shampoo him regularly with oatmeal. He also takes his Omega 3 fish oil pills daily.

My Maltese wights 10.5 lbs and my daughter by mistake gave him an overdose of Sentry flea & tick gel I took him to vet and he received a shot of Triamcinolone but I still don’t see much progress he is still just wanting to sleep and not eat much .
My friend recommend I give him K 9 complete dog food with Transfer plus . What do you suggest please help It breaks my heart to see my dog in this condition

My 10.5 year old 9 lb maltese is on Vetmedin and Enalapril. I am changing from Revolution to HeartGuard plain trying to use a less toxic medication just for heartworm. What do you think of HeartGuard and is there anything safer? Thank you.

I dont think adding hydroxyzine will be a problem. You could also ask vet about short acting anti anxiety drugs like xanax or trazadone, or even trying different type of drug like clomiprimine. Other option would be to consult with veterinary homeopath on totally different approach. To learn more about homeopathy see the booklet on http://www.beyondflatearth.com as well as my website http://www.doctordym.com Many homeopathic vets do offer phone consultations as do I nationwide, however it is not quick fix and requires time, patience and commitment.

Cyst broke on back of 65 lb dog who is using prion for incontinence. Can ciprofloxacin be used to assist healing? 125mg/12hrs/5 days Wound has been cleaned & topically neosporin applied. I understand virgin coconut oil is also being used topically. Thank you.

My 7 year old Maine Coon mix licks his belly and legs excessively, and his skin “crawls” when being petted. We have tried prednisone, depo, mitaban dips and a variety of psych meds and have completely food trials, All to no avail. I am at a loss as how to treat my poor boy. I want to try reconcile and pred simultaneously. Is it safe and do you think it would help? I welcome any other thoughts/suggestions. Thank you!

THis sounds like something called feline hyperesthesia syndrome. I personally find that constitutional homeopathy offers the best chance at response here. To learn more about homeopathy, see the booklet on the website http://www.beyondflatearth.com as well as my website http://www.doctordym.com Many homeopathic vets like myself do offer phone consultations. Otherwise, reconcile worth a try but I have not seen great results with that.

Hello, I would like to know if I can give Metronidazole and Famotidine to my dog. Milo was fine before all of this happened, he didn’t want to eat however. His loss of appetite cause him to have diarrhea and vomiting. Hope to hear from you.

My 20 lb dog has allergies, I am waiting to hear from my vet but the office is not open on the weekends. He is on 2.5 mg of prednisone every other day, 10 mgs of Fluoxetine daily. Can I give him benedryl to help until I can talk to the vet. thank you .

hi there,
i have a 12 year old 6.5 lbs chihuahua that has collapsed trachea and a heart murmur. we have been giving him tussigon (sp.) for the coughing. he recently had a vet visit because the coughing has gotten worse. the dr said his heart murmur has gotten worse so he prescribed enalapril. is it okay to give him the tussigon and enalapril together? we have also switched his food to blue buffalo and are giving him collegen x , fish oil, co q10 and heart terrain. are these all okay to keep giving him? any other suggestions would be appreciated.

I think the supplements are fine. Also consider gemmotherapy Hawthorne by Boiron. Also I would consider whole food supplements like canine cardiac support from STandard process company. It is fine to use supplements you are, as well as enalopril and tussigon. Also ask vet about other drug called Vetmedin which is wonderful for heart disease.

Hi, I just gave my dog Benadryl, as she seemed to have hives this morning. She has tapeworm though and was supposed to get a dose of a combo drug for it called pyrantel pamoate/praziquantel. Can I still give her the tapeworm meds or should I wait?
Thanks…

I gave my 55 lb shepherd mix aspirin at midnight (about 3/4 of a 325mg tablet, I broke off part of it). She was recently prescribed Tramadol 50 mg. I’d like to switch to the tramadol. Can Aspirin and tramadol be given in the same day?

my dog is on clavaseptin and he just doesn’t seem right he is also taking terbutaline sulfare and two different eye drops voltaren and opt immune., can they be interacting and should I stop given all of them please help..

I have a pug/pekenese mix that will be 7yrs old in about 3 weeks. Last Saturday we came home and found him laying on his side convulsing and foaming at the mouth. We rushed him to benefield animal hospital where they stabilized him and and kept him about 4 hrs and sent us home with Phenobarbital 30-32.5mg 1/2 a pill twice a day. He was still having seizures on sunday so I called them back and he upped the Phenobarbital dose to whole pill twice a day. Seemed to help but he was still having small seizures I took him to my Vet on tuesday for a second opinion and he checked him over and told us to keep him on the phenobarbital whole pill twice a day plus an antibiotic baytril 22.7mg twice a day for 15 days due to he was running a fever, plus Enalapril 5mg due to a heart murmur he has. He was eating pretty good and drinking water luke crazy but here it is 7 days later and he hasn’t ate since yesterday but has been drinking water all day up til this evening. He started to shiver and drool then pant. I looked up those symptoms online and it said that it’s a sign he is in pain, he has been doing this off and on since about 8:30 this evening and he’s still doing it and its 12:30 am. Does he need something for pain and if so what can I give him with the medications he is currently on??
The emerg vet diagnosed it was toxin related due to an OTC flea/tick treatment I applied to him a few days prior. HELP please.

To Sandra with the “pug/pekenese mix that will be 7yrs old in about 3 weeks”— I would have your pup tested for GME Granulomatous meningoencephalomyelitis, which is a non-contagious form of Meningitis / Encephalitis. It mostly occurs in females around that age, put there is also a disease called Pug encephalitis or Necrotizing meningoencephalitis of Pugs (a genetic immune-mediated disease of Pugs characterized by a progressive early-onset meningoencephalitis). The only reason I know this is from hours of research trying to find out what was wrong with my precious dachshund, Sassy. Her symptoms were very similar to your sweet pup. So, search on the internet and there will be several sites with the symptoms for you to compare with what your pup is going through. We spent a full month going to our vet and specialists before I finally ‘demanded’ our vet refer us to a nearby specialist for the tests. I asked each time, to each vet if it was not some form of Meningitis / Encephalitis, and each time I was dismissed…

THanks for sharing Susie. Sadly these type of chronic diseases seen in epidemic levels in pets today are mostly autoimmune based, where the immune system is attacking the body’s own tissues. Other than cortisone and related drugs, not much to offer traditionally. THus I find that holistic modalities like homeopathy and others much more helpful and at least give the pets a chance.

Baytril not my first choice when seizures occurring, as this drug can sometimes exacerbate seizures in some patients. Toxin/flea product reactions are possible, as well as reactions to vaccinations in weeks prior to seizures. . Drugs like keppra and/or zonisamide or potassium bromide are now second line drugs to help control seizures in patients not responding to first choice like phenobarbitol. As mentioned in above post, holistic modalities also an option for you.

Hello Sandra, if your dog has autoimmune problem then go to Optimum Choices.com they are also on facebook, you can read a lot of testimonies, their bio preparation F3+ is a miracle, they will answer all your question, Good Luck

Susie
Thanks when I took him in for the second opinion he told me that Meningitis was a possibility but without doing a spinal tap he wouldn’t know for sure but told me the antibiotic would help if it was. I’m going to call the pet hospital I took him to last saturday and see what kind of pain releiver (if any) I can give him.

In my experience of clinical veterinary practice of 23 plus years, I find that most of these neuro workups only lead to immune mediated diseases in most cases like GME, of which traditional medicine has not much to offer long term. Also VERY expensive workups to get to that point. Occasional operable tumors but for most part immune mediated diseases of which no traditional answers like GME. I would explore homeopathy in cases like this and other holistic modalities that veterinary colleagues and I have found offer better results than long term prednisone. To learn more about homeopathy go to http://www.beyondflatearth.com as well as http://www.drpitcairn.com and my website http://www.doctordym.com Many homeopaths like me do offer phone consultations.

My dog was on 120 mg/ day of Apo-Furosemide and 10 mg/ day of Fortekor (benazepril hydrochloride) for coughing and possibly an enlarged heart. His vet prescribed him 200m/day of Simplicef for a UTI. (this was the first time for this particular medication)The next day he began to vomit. The vet then prescribed a shot that would stop vomiting. He stopped eating and foamed at the mouth and after some hours began to vomit again if he drank anything, I continued his meds not thinking about drug interactions or side effects and believing his condition was just worsening. The vet also suggested he have an acid reducer so I gave him 75mg of ranitidine. Within 6 days he could not walk, pee, eat or drink and I had to let him go. When I put my ear to his chest I could hear the sound of bubbles traveling through a fluid every 9-11 seconds. My dog was my best friend and I feel I let him down in the end by possibly overmedicating him. All of his blood tests on the second of 3 visits in a week were normal, yet he had to be put down 3 days later because he could not function. When I looked up side effects of Simplicef, it warns of interactions with both Furosemide and acid reducers. I still don’t know what was causing this massive deterioration but now I wonder if it was a fatal drug reaction. What happens when you mix Furosemide and Simplicef. Does the Furosemide still work because the was definitely a water build up somewhere, I could clearly hear it. The vet said it was gas but no gas came out of him and it was exactly every 9-11 seconds I could hear it. I just wish I understood what happened to him. His heart condition was under control until he took the Simplicef.

my 11 month old kitten yesterday had yellow fluid drained from his lung the vet believes that unfortunatly this is the wet FIP. my fiance and i are devistated we have been doing all the research we can the vet prescibed us prednizone and oral lasix he weighs 9lbs and were giving it twice daily.
he is still eating very well and drinking just sleeping more and no desire to play. i have a way to get iv lasix i just wonder if that would be more helpfull than the oral lasix or if you know any treatment for this horrible disease please help thank you for your time.

I have a 6 year old mini-dachshund who has been taking Trifexis for years. This past year she started having seizures. The vet put her on Phenobarbital. I asked if taking the two together would be a problem and she said no. I am now reading there are problems with seizures and Trifexis. Could the Trifexis have caused her epilepsy? Should we still be giving the two meds, phenobarbital and Trifexis together?

I think the flagyl is a good idea to use and finish. Also consider probiotics and enzymes like fast balance and naturevet enzymes from 1800petmeds. Bland home cooked turkey and sweet potato diets 50-50 mixture can also help this

My boxer (7 years old) was just diagnosed for lymophoma. He was given prednisone and he had chronic diarrhea. Can I give him anti diarrheal medicine with prednisone (Loperamide HCI caplets 2.mg. and if so how much?

My Rat terrier was vomiting and the vet gave him a shot of Cereniain the office then prescribed Baytril and Cerenia. The cerenia made him sleepy, no appetite and he started having tremors. I stopped the cerenia and his appetite has picked up and he is more alert, but is still having tremors when he sleeps. Does it cause these tremors?? Ad how long does it take to get this out of his system?

My Rat terrier was vomiting and the vet gave him a shot of Cerenia in the office then prescribed Baytril and Cerenia. The cerenia made him sleepy, no appetite and he started having tremors. I stopped the cerenia and his appetite has picked up and he is more alert, but is still having tremors when he sleeps. Does it cause these tremors?? Ad how long does it take to get this out of his system?

I have a 10 y/o Shar Pei with an enlarged heart. I live in Mexico where vet care is questionable. He is on enalapril 10 mg/day weighs 40- 50 lbs. He is itching and getting some hot spots so I am giving him diphenhydramine 25mg. twice a day. I’ve looked and looked and don’t think those drugs interact but got to be sure. Also have a 6 lb. Chihuahua (4 others, all rescue including a xoloitzquintle) with ventricular fibrulation. I think that is what they called it. She is the alpha and my #1. She is on digoxin. Is that Ok? She (6) has to live another 13 yrs. at least.

Digoxin is strong drug and should be used under care of a veterinarian. There are other options for arhythmias but you would need to consult with vet cardiologist. I dont see a problem with the diphenhydramine and enalopril.

My 1 year old dog takes Trifexis monthly and has diarrhea/lethargy for about 36-48 hours after every dose. Is there a better brand/drug I could be using? Also, how necessary is it that she takes this medicine given that she is an indoor dog? Last, if I continue giving her Trifexis, is it okay to also give her Kaopectate/Pepto Bismol to reduce diarrhea symptoms?

Hi Katie. Please STOP the Trifexis as your pet is clearly reacting to this product. I would be concerned about long term effects on immune system that can come with chronic reactions to pesticides. Best to consider another alternative for flea and/or heartworm control. Perhaps try revolution from 1800petmeds.

My pitbull had a double ear infection with crusty blood coming out of his ears, cleaned them out twice a day..didn’t help.
Went to our vet who prescibed Prednisone 20mg 1 a day and 500mg of cipro 2 a day.He has been on them since Friday with no side effects except thirt and frequent urination. This morning, Sunday at 3:00am he started vomiting and shaking. this went on and off for 8 hours. initially he vomited his dinner, the rest had been bile. He’s a little lethargic, mellow, nose is cold and wet. Body was shaking, back leg twitching. i called the vet and he said I had to get the meds in him since he wouldn’t eat or drink. I manually put them in his throat and massaged them down.Any advise? He’s not vomited in 2hrs.

I disagree with your vet to continue the cipro and prednisone especially if vomiting,etc Could be medication reaction and/or other issue going on, that would need re check and blood work to sort out. Try oral pepcid AC at dose of 20 mg twice daily to see if settles stomach until vet recheck.

have a 7 week old puppy that weighs about 8lbs…. vet appt tomorrow. think he might have distemper or a severe allergic reaction to something outside. the other 10 puppies are fine. been giving benadrryl, and clavamox. how much clavamox is safe for such a young dog? thank you for your website and your time

My 5 years old cat was diagnosed with heart enlargement for one year now and he has been taking Vetmedin half tablet morning and half tablet evening…. i was traveling and during my absence he got sick with dehydration, and he is at the clinic now…. my question is, since the clinic hours are 9am – 4pm and they are able to give him only his morning dosage only (half a tablet) and evening he is getting nothing… how risky is that for him ?

Thank you dr. Dym for your quick response. The issue is it will not be only for one day, the missing dose will continue for 14 days as I’m out of the country and clinic where he is at opens only till 4 pm so he will be only getting the morning dose of medicine.

We’re treating our female 52 lb mini pitbull mix for heartworms. So she’s getting the arsenic based injections. Her first injection was 3 weeks ago and her next one is scheduled next week. Her monthly flea & tick meds were due, so we put it on her today. Was that a wise decision?

I Have a 13 yr old cavalier on 1/2 5 mg 2 times a day, 1-5 mg twice a day and 1/2-50 mg furosimide twice a day. Can he is starting to get a respritory infection, can I give him sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim with those meds. Thank you.

Not really sure what meds you are talking about as you did not mention which medications, however I am not fan of sulfa drugs, as outdated antibiotic in veterinary medicine, and this breed prone to immune reactions to begin with, so I personally would stay away from this antibiotic and ask your local vet about alternative drug

I have a 9yrs old tabby girl cat, a few days ago she was vomiting and have diarrhea problem. After visited the vet , it seem she have inflammation in her stomach so the vet give her a small dosage of 31.25mg Metronidazole. It made her very tired and she doesn’t want to move. Now I’m a bit worry about it. She will only eat small amount of can food and would not drink water at all. So should I continue to give her the medicine? She is on her second days of this medicine.

My 14yr old Aussie has terminal cancer in her nose. I have an appointment to put her to sleep two weeks from today. She’s not in the late stages yet but she’s getting closer. The last couple of days she has been bleeding a lot more from her nose. She doesn’t seem to be in very much pain unless she yawns or sneezes. Do you know of anything I can give that will help make her more comfortable in this last time and can be given with her bleeding like she is? I would rather not have to go to the vet again if there’s something I can do but of course I will if there’s no other way. I have continued to give her benedryl for an anti-inflamatory. It seems to be helping. Thank you so much! I can’t tell you how much these blogs have helped me during this very difficult time.

My cat is currently getting .5 ml of prednisolone orally every other day. Would there be any negative interaction with a flea shampoo? He is infested with fleas and the Frontline (applied 2 weeks ago) hasn’t had much impact yet.

our 16 pound westie now weighs 14 pounds…she is on several meds for stomach issues, eye problems and ear infection…she has lost her appetite and is very lethargic. could it be the combo of drugs she’s on? all her tests show no serious health issues, they say she could possibly have Crohns Disease ? we’re very concerned in her loss of appetite. any suggestions ?Thank you !

My 17 yr old cat is presenting with symptoms of pancreatitis. we have her on amoxicillin, baytril, pepcid and cerenia She is tough to medicate, and I wonder if its ok to add the pepcid to her amoxicillin?

My question to you is my cat is 25lbs and 7 yrs old. He been diagnoised with liver problems and has been on low dosage 2mg He is a very sensitive, and nervous cat. My vet just told me he might be a diabetic again. He was 1year ago, but insulin helped him. Now if he is he might have to go back on insulin and I am afraid, if he does not stay on the liver meds the insulin can interact with him cause deadly.Don’t know yet. Vet test showed a little sugar in his urine. He is a very large cat to begin with. I am so worried about him just do not know if my vet can help him. He also has be diagnosed with IBD, another problem. Do you have any input also? I would like to hear what your opinon might be.

Consider doing more holistic approach in terms of diet and treatment. See the book The NAtural Cat by Anitra Frazier, which is ideal way to feed and support cats. Anitra also does phone consultations 212-663-0122…. Consider working with homeopathic vet http://www.theAVH.org I would stress diets LOW or none in carbs.

my westie has lost her appetite….she’s on prednisone, prostora,metronidazole &omaprezole, would that be causing it ? we’ve had all tests run on her….they think she has Crohns…all other tests were good. Thanks !

My vet put my 10 y.o. male boxer on levothyroxine .6 mg/twice daily for hypothyroidism. Prior to this, he had some episodes of upset stomach, and my vet told me to give him Pepcid 20 mg. These episodes happen infrequently, and vet is aware of them. Question: now that he’s on the thyroid med, can I still give him Pepcid for upset stomach? Any interactions?

My dog takes Phenobarb, zonisamide, keppra, and potassium bromide (epilepsy). He is 5 years old and 15 lbs. He recently hurt his back and I was wondering if I can give him some ASA for pain until his vet appointment?

My dog is 13 and gets seizures. He is on pheno. I hate to see what these seizures do to him. How do you know when it is time to let him go? I am on SS and have a hard time to buy this drug. Can somebody help me?

If the seizures recently started at an old age, there is good chance that there is a primary brain lesion or disease, even the possibility of a tumor. IF signs persist or worsen, and/or worse neurological symptoms come up, then I would consider this a quality of life issue.

My 14 year old shih tzu has right-sided heart failure and pulmonary hypertension and is treated by a cardiologist. She is on Theophylline 100 mg twice daily, Pimobendan 1.25 mg twice daily; hydrocodone – 1/4 of a 5 mg tablet every six hours. My dog also suffers from severe anxiety from lightning and thunderstorms. She is awake most of the night staring at the windows – waiting for a storm. Would it be safe to give her xanax before bedtime and, if so, what strength. She is such a tortured little soul and I am open to other suggestions. Thank you for your help.

Dose of xanax can range from .5 to 1 mg however best to consult with your vet cardiologist on this to make sure ok with condition. Also can try L-theonine which is wonderful calming amino acid from health food store at dose of 1 to 400 mg as needed.

Thank you for your help. I did talk to the cardiologist – xanax is safe to take with the other meds but I believe I will try your suggestion for L-theonine first – much prefer natural products. Again, thanks so much for your response.

I have three indoor only cats. Somehow they all got roundworms. They all have had a dose of Profender from the vet. My 4 year old girl cat has constipation and vomiting and my two boys (1 is a year old, the other is 5-6 months old) both have diarrhea and possible vomiting. Not sure who vomited because I was not home at the moment. Could this just be side-effects from the Profender?? I just want to be sure they’re getting better, not sicker.

Is it safe to give both Doxycycline and Clindamycin at the same time?
My Addision, IMHA dog , on Pred 5mg daily, as MRSP.. a 3 week round of Doxycycline has done little to reduce her MRSP sores on her back. Clindamycin has been added to the treatment plan.

My cat was 18 month old cat was given an antibiotic shot at the vet’s office today for a cat bite abscess on his tail. The vet noted that he had quite a few fleas as well. My question is, if I use Advantage 2 to treat the fleas, will it interfere with the effectiveness of the antibiotic? I want to take care of his fleas as soon as possible, but am more concerned about clearing up the infection. Should I wait until the infection is gone before I treat for fleas or should I do it immediately to avoid additional problems caused by fleas?

I forgot to ask the vet while I was there because I was very distraught because draining the abscess was very painful for my cat and his yowls of pain about broke my heart. Now my vet’s office is closed for the day.

My beagle has been diagnosed with an enlarged heart. She is now on Enalapril and furosemide. She keeps injuring her front legs jumping off furniture. Is there anything that I can give her for pain and inflammation that will not interact with her heart medicine or condition?
Thank you for the assistance!

12 year old maltese was having trouble standing and walking. Does have a heart murmur and vet said valve not closing properly. Prescribed vetmedin 1.25mg twice a day and salix 12.5mg twice a day. Cut back salix to 1 a day since wetting all the time. Can I cut vetmedin to 1 a day also. Don’t want to overmedicate. Blood sample was checked and everything was ok. Been taking for app 1 month. Thanks you

my question is if my dog is being treated for pulmonary hypertension with viagra is it safe to also administer cerenia? my pet had a previous bad experience with cerenia.. she was administered this again after being given viagra and died within a couple hours. i know cerenia should not be given with other protein binding drugs including cardiac drugs but i was just needing more insight into this. thank you

i have a 6 pound 9 week old puppy just diagnosed with parvo yesterday. he is on primor and cerenia. he had a fever earlier so i gave him 30 mg of a baby aspirin. is this okay? will it cancel out his antibiotics? he is doing well as far as the parvo. keeping fluids and food down. still has diarrhea.

I would NOT use aspirin with parvo virus infection, as aspirin can irritate lining of digestive tract… If has a true fever, and/or diarrhea, best to see vet for another antibiotic, etc such as metronidazole, etc

I have a 77 lb Golden Retriever mix (unsure of his age due to him being a rescue – but vets have all stated between 5 and 7 yrs old) and he has been seen by vet twice in the past 2 months for an ear infection and then for a hot spot. The first time was 6/25 for the ear infection and the vet sedated him, he was then given an injection of Dexamethasone S.P., 15 g of Mometamax, and I was given 15 Prednisone 5 mg tablets to give him over the course of a week. The second time he went to the vet on 7/28 for the hot spot which his biting led to him having a big mat in his tail, once again the vet sedated him so that he could clip and medicate the wound. He was also given an antibiotic injection, an injection of Dexamethasone S.P., and I was given 56 Cephalexin 500 mg pills and instructed to give him a total of 4 pills per day and another 15 Prednisone 10 mg pills which I completed this morning. My dog is not eating well now and I am wondering if this could be due to all the medication and sedation that he has had of been taking lately. I have spent almost $600 and right now it would be very hard for me to pay another vet bill. Also should I be concerned about the amount of medication this vet is giving my dog and that he was sedated for an ear infection and to be shaved. This is a new vet for my dog and my cause for concern. Any help you can provide would be greatly appreciated.

This breed is very prone to inhalent/contact allergies known as atopy, which if not addressed may recur, and can show symptoms such as ear infections, hot spots, etc. Best to ask vet about long term allergy control plan, including antihistamines, etc. Repetitive steroids like this should be last resort in my opinion if it keeps recurring. Try antihistamines as well as adding fatty acid like nordic naturals pet omega 3 fatty acid to meals from 1800petmeds.

My 15 pound doxipoo is on antihistamine for allergies and has been prescribed ciprofloxacinand had a steroid shot for a staph infection its time for her heartworm prevention iverhartmax is it ok to go ahead and give it to her or should I wait till her staph is cleared up?

I have a 5 year old male lab. He has had seizurea for a couple years. We have had to put him on phenobarb 16mg x2 and to stop cluster seizures 1000mg levetiraceta 3x daily. This combination has stopped cluster seizures and we have had only one seizure since 6/22. Due to the meds given, we cannot treat him for fleas without causing additional seizure. Do you have any suggestion for flea treatment that will not cause seizures.

What, if any, interactions are there between Nexguard and Minocycoline? 2 year old Jess has suddenly been vomiting and became incontinent. She was then prescribed PROIN which did not help. Even stopping the Minocycoline and PROIN have not helped. The NexGuard of course lasts in her system for a month Thank you

Is it safe to give a 5 month old puppy Benadryl while he is taking Metacam? He was neutered this past Tuesday and had his dewclaws removed. He gets Metacam in the morning with his food to help with the pain. I have had to keep him in his crate because he is extremely wound up and won’t stay calm. He is crying in his crate and clawing to get out and I’m afraid he is going to tear his incisions open. I have tried letting him out and sitting with him but he is too hyper right now. He still has about 8 days of recovery left. I’m not sure what to do to calm him….

Benadryl is ok to use, however you may also want to try the natural amino acid L-theonine, which you can get at health food store and give at dose of 2 to 300 mg every 8 hours, which may help naturally calm your pet

Two days ago I adopted a 5 month old puppy from the humane society who was just spayed and vaccinated that same day. She has demadex mange and being treated by the humane society but after takin her to the vet for the first time I found out she has gairdia and whip worms as well. The vet gave me metronidazole and panacur granules for the worms and gairdia but after two nights I can’t sleep because she is waking me up and I remembered the humane society saying a dose of 25mg Benadryl to give her. Would this be a problem with the other two medicines?

Dogsitting for a small senior bichon frise. He is on fluconazole and gets very anxious during storms. Owners told me he has anxiety meds but is out of them. Is administering a small dose benadryl okay to get him settled down?

I have a 12 year old Aussie that is on Phenobarb for seizures and also Previcox for pain. They now want to add Gabapentin. I am afraid of having him on this much medication. Is it safe for him? Please help if you can.

My 11 yr old dachshund was recently diagnosed with diabetes. He is on Humulin N insulin shots twice a day. Yesterday he yelped in pain from his cervical disk disease that also comes and goes. Can I safely give him Tramadol while taking insulin? I know that he can no longer be on steroids and I feel that that’s what caused his diabetes. He’s been on steroids (prednisone and/or Dexamethasone) on and off for 7 years for his herniated disk disease.

I have not had problem with tramadol in diabetic pets, but check with your local vet. Can also ask about economic and effective drug called Gabpentin, which is also quite effective for nerve pain in dogs.

Melatonin is fine to use at 3 to 6 mg at bed time, however best to have vet exam to make sure no other issues causing restlessness i.e thyroid levels too high,; other hormonal issues like Cushings, etc

Our new rescue dog is infested with lice, specifically sucking lice. We’ve given one treatment of canine Revolution, followed by a flea and tick shampoo 72 hours later. Within a few days of applying Revolution, his skin looked much better (less inflammation), the number of lice definitely decreased (although many continued to stay attached), and his scratching was not so excessive anymore. The flea/tick shampoo didn’t seem to make much of a difference. We also cleaned and vacuumed everything. Less than 2 weeks later, however, the lice infestation as well as his skin condition and excessive scratching are just as bad as in the very beginning. We knew that several topical applications might be needed with two weeks in between applications as well as a second flea/tick shampoo.. So for the second application, we applied Frontline approx. 36 hours ago. Since then, there has been absolutely no change in his skin condition or amount of scratching, etc. After doing some research, I discovered that 1% ivermectin might be a better choice for treating sucking lice in particular. Since we just applied the Frontline early yesterday, how long do we have to wait before we can give the oral Ivermectin? FYI – our rescued boy is a pure bred coon hound and not one of the breeds well known for having sensitivities to ivermectin.

I would recommend being under care and treatment of local veterinarian and/or if needed a veterinary dermatologist in your area. I would first confirm diagnosis of lice and/or any other secondary yeast or bacterial skin infection, skin allergy, etc. I personally prefer revolution every 2 weeks for treating external parasites of skin. As for Ivermectin, I cant recommend the use of that without a vet exam and evaluation.

My dog is currently taking clavamox 62.5 x 2 daily. He is also scheduled to take a heartguard pill today as well. Are there any possible negative drug interactions that can occur with these two meds or am I okay to give him his heartguard? Thank you!

Muy answer would typically depend on how severe the condition that is being treated with clavamox. I typically will wait on giving heartworm prevention if a pet’s immune system is busy fighting another infection, etc. No problem in waiting a week or two to give the heartworm later.

Hello,
I have a 3 year old female GSD that weighs 100lbs. She has been on phenobarbital since October 2013, and recently we have had to add potassium bromide. She has hurt her back leg while playing, can I give her aspirin?

took my dog to the vets today she has been back and forth for the last 3 months.he said its time for her to go.but thought we could try 1 more thing so he gave me prednisolone and zantac susp which i have started her on today .have to take her back next tuesday to see how she is doing.she is 14 in 19 days time and has always been a healthy dog she is a long legged brindle staffie.do you know what is wrong with her to be put on these drugs ,as the vet said prob cancer as she is losing weight fast.thank you for reading.worried pet owner

Not sure about why she is on these drugs, unless vet is treating some sort of digestive or inflammatory stomach/bowel disorder. I would follow your vet’s advice without knowing more case history details here.

I gave my dog his monthly heartworm medication and topical flea/tic medicine. His arthritis seemed to be acting up as well so later we gave him 50 mg o Tramadol and 75 mg of Carprofen. It’s been almost 7 hours since then but he seems to be acting out of sorts. Restless. hiding. Nervous. Panting. He’s never had these symptoms with these medications before. Could it be from having them in one day? Should we wait it out? Thank you

HI Jamie….Yes. too many meds at same time. In future, I would try and give heartworm and flea/tick medicines at least 7 days apart. Sometimes as pets get older they become more sensitive to drug combinations. If signs persist, then best to see vet for exam and evaluation

My dog is an 11 year old pug and my vet after testing her urine says she has a urinary bladder infection. She was prescribed Cephalexin 300mg 3 times a day. Was also given carprofen 25mg once a day for pain. She has been taking this for about 4 days. Today she stopped eating and is urinating in her crate. She keeps trying to urinate. She pooped normally. Is it the medication? Or is it something else? She appears worse after taking the medicine.

Could be infection that is NOT sensitive to the cephalexin or possibly another diagnosis of the urinary issue, like urinary tract stone, polyp, or even tumor. best to see vet again for recheck, x rays and possibly urine culture, as well as even ultrasound if needed.

I have a dog that is 50lbs and she got stung by a bee. She only has facial swelling around her eye, she is acting fine . I gave her benadryl but when I was icing the area it seemed painful. Is it ok to give tramadol ? It’s only been a half hour since giving benadryl.

I have an 8 yr old poodle that has been taking zonisamide for seizures for the past 3 months. He currently strained his back/neck. I gave him 10 ml of metacam. Is it safe to give him 1/4 tab of methocrbamol for muscle relaxation!

Hello, I accidentally gave my 10 month beagle her TriHeart Plus medication 8 days early and she had symptoms like diarrhea and vomiting. She is okay now, its been 48 hours and her stool is back to normal. Did she have this reaction because I administered 8 days early?

***Also TriHeart Plus was the only preventative medication we gave her and she is not on any other medication. This was the second time I’ve administered it but she did not have this reaction the first time.

Our 6 1/2 year old dog has been on Tramadol for almost 2yrs. We had to take him to the vet yesterday because of extreme itching and dry skin. We found,surprisingly,that he also has fleas. The medicines prescribed are:Cephalexin 500 mg. & Temaril-P tab and NexGard chewable [which we gave him about 4 p.m. yesterday. After giving him the Tramadol,Cephalexin,and Temaril this morning,he became very agitated and unable to calm down. He has just now after 2 hrs., settled down. Our vet is gone today so we don’t know what to do about meds.

Sounds like too many meds at once in my opinion, especially all of the drugs for itching and at same time the nexguard. BEst to separate out in future nexguard from other drugs at same time. You could try a dose of the homeopathic remedy Nux Vomica in 30c Potency, which you can likely get from local health food store, which can calm an excessive reaction…… If signs persist or worsen, see vet for exam and evaluation.

Hi, my 6 year old 135 lbs Greater Swiss Mountain Dog has urinary incontinence, we had an ultra sound done to rule out prostate enlargement (which it’s not) and also had his urine tested. Our vet recommended 100mg of Proin twice a day which seemed to help. The urine test results came back with a UTI and we we’re given 200mg of Doxycycline to administer twice a day. The vet said to discontinue the Proin because the Incontinance may be resolved with the Doxycycline. We noticed he was “leaking” urine again everywhere and then we’re told to give him both medications together. It’s now been almost three weeks and he is still leaking, is it possible the Doxycycline is canceling out the effects of the Proin? Are they safe to be given together?
Thank you in advance for your reply.

My cat is so ill she weighs about 6lbs or so. Very had her on cefa-drops, she was more active and eating on her own. But my vet insisted that since she still had a fever we put her on doxycycline. She is more lethargic on that. I also realized just today that I was using the wrong dropper and therefore giving her only 1/2 if the dose of cefa-drops. Now what? This is so muddled I am really worried she has had this fever for about 2 months or so now. I think I want to put her back on the cefa-drops at the right dosage and for the right amount of time and see how she does. Please help. I need advise.

May want to ask vet for long acting injectable antibiotic called convenia which lasts for 2 weeks in the cat. Another option may be oral azithromycin(known as zithromax), which is also effective in many cats. Also support immune system with DMG liquid from 1800petmeds and transfer factor http://www.powerbod.com/2/michaeldym

My 13lb Pomerarian with collapsing trachea is on 1/2 tablet 2x day of Tamaril-P and 1 tablet of Baytril 22.7 mg 1x/day. This treatment has worked in the past to get her honking cough under control, but this time her coughing has increased and her breathing is wheezy. Could it be that these drugs are no longer effective? Can I increase the Tamaril-P dosage adding in another 1/2 tablet? I will contact her vet tomorrow.

You could try bumping up the temaril p to 1 tab twice daily until you can get in touch with your vet. Also can try over the counter mucinex cough medicine for children at dose of 1 teaspoon every 6 to 8 hours as needed.

My Jack Russell has seasonal allergies. He is now 14 yrs old and is going though these now. In the past, Temeral p has worked great so we carry a supply with us as we travel a lot. This time he is reacting differently. We tried Apoquel which we can’t get again until 5/15. This didn’t seem to help so we started him on the Temeral. When this wasn’t helping, we took him to a vet and he was given a Dexamethasone 1.5 injection and we increased the Temeral from 1/2 2 times daily to 1 whole tab. 2 times daily. He is experiencing thirst, frequent urination, and hunger. Aside from this, he appears to be excessively bloated. Could the bloating be a sign of a bad side affect?

The bloating can be a side effect of the extra doses of steroids by injection and pills. I would ask your vet about alternative immune suppressive drug like atopica from 1800petmeds, as well as possibly use supplements like yucca intensive and proanthozone.

My vet prescribed Previcox for my JR due to ligament pull/maybe tear, have been told this is a bad drug. Also, I gave him 1 Temaril-P to help with pain till we could get into the vet, can I start the Previcox or how long do I have to wait after giving the Temaril-P, can there be a bad interaction with these two drugs.

Sounds like a lot of meds for an old dog to be on. Fluconazole can be very strong on liver. I would at least start him on some supportive supplements including Tumeric at dose of 1200 mg once to twice daily, as well as milk thistle at 200 mg daily. The antioxidant supplement SAMe also may help his joints at dose of 200 mg daily.

My 11-year-old Maltese was on 5 mg of Fluoxetine daily for separation anxiety and doing great. Two weeks ago she was rushed to the hospital and diagnosed with congestive heart failure. She’s now on Lasix, Vetmedin, Enalapril, Spiro and Mirtazapine Can I add the Fluoxetine back into the mix? I have heard contradicting info from vets thus far. I found information that Fluoxetine should not be taken if you have an acute heart condition, but that was for humans. Thank You!!!

My 17 year old DSH cat currently has CRF, hyperthyroidism, and pancreatitis. He is on a cocktail of medications now (methimazole, baytril, pepcid, prednisolone, Calcitriol), but I am concerned with two of them. He is using Calcitriol for his CRF, but his vet recently sold us Epakitin because his phosphorus levels are increasing. However, I have read that Epakitin is not recommended for cats that are using Calcitriol because of the risk of hypercalcemia. My cat had his calcium levels checked shortly after starting Calcitriol, and they were normal, but I don’t want to possibly disrupt his normal values with the Epakitin. I tried discussing my concern with his vet, but she did not answer any of my questions in a direct manner. She offered another type of phosphus binder, aluminum hydroxide, but still did not admit that Epakitin should not be used with Calcitriol. Just curious, what is your take on this? Also, would the aluminum hydroxide affect his appetite? He just recently got his appetite back and I don’t want him to lose it again. Thank you so much!!

Aluminium hydroxide can occasionally affect appetite, , and as for epikatin, I have not used it that often in practice but it makes sense that it could raise blood calcium levels, if used at time of calcitriol, so it may be worth going with the calcitriol only. Also consider the great supplement renavast, which you can read more about on line